Brief Moments in Time
by shana852963
Summary: A collection of Harry Potter oneshots. Some focus on the trio post-war, some are second-generation, and some are missing moments from the books. Canon (except for Cursed Child). Read, enjoy, review!
1. Chapter 1

"Hermione, you've been studying all week," Ron sighed, as he watched Hermione flip frantically through her books at the table in his and Harry's shared loft. "You _know_ you're going to get top marks on your N.E.W.T.S."

"I do not know that," Hermione snapped. "I won't get top marks if I don't study."

"The tests aren't until the last week of May, though," Ron frowned. "You have over a month left. Come on, take a quick study break. Harry's still at the Burrow…"

"Ron, I really have to get through these notes by the end of the week," Hermione told him. "The Spring holiday is almost up and I'm nowhere near where I need to be in my study schedule."

Just then there was a loud popping sound, and Ginny and Harry appeared in the kitchen.

"Hermione, er, have you moved from that spot since I left this morning?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No, she has not," Ron said before Hermione could answer.

"Hermione, the N.E.W.T. tests aren't for ages," Ginny pointed out.

"Six weeks, actually," Hermione said.

"Wait…really?" Ginny frowned. "Sounds much closer when you say it like that."

"You'll be fine," Harry told her.

"Have you started studying yet?" Hermione asked.

"No," Ginny admitted. "I was going to wait until I got back to Hogwarts at the end of the week, but…I don't suppose you still have that study schedule that you drew up for me?"

Hermione smiled and pulled out a sheet of parchment from beneath her mountain of notes and handed it to her.

"You're a lifesaver," Ginny grinned, sitting down at the table with her.

"Hold on, I thought we were going to go for a fly," Harry said.

"Not now, I think I should get through these Transfiguration notes," Ginny said, flicking her wand, causing her books and notes to come sailing out from Harry's bedroom.

Harry glared at Hermione. "Thanks."

"I'm very sorry I convinced your girlfriend study for the most important exams of her academic career," Hermione said, rolling her eyes.

"So let me get this straight," Ron said. "You two are just going to take over _our_ kitchen to study for the rest of the break?"

"Brilliant deduction," Ginny said, not looking up from her notes.

"Unbelievable," Ron said, shaking his head as he turned to Harry. "Well, want to go have a quick game of one-on-one Quidditch?"

"Might as well," Harry sighed. He leaned down and faced Ginny. "Good luck with your studying then."

"Thank you," Ginny smiled, giving him a quick peck on the lips.

"Will you stop distracting her, Harry?" Hermione shot.

"Fine," Harry said, rolling his eyes.

"I'm telling you, I thought I escaped the wrath of those exams when we didn't go back to Hogwarts for our seventh year," Ron said as him and Harry strolled out to their yard. "It's like I don't even have a girlfriend right now."

"Did you expect anything less from Hermione when you invited her to stay so close to the exams?" Harry smirked.

"Well, I suppose not," Ron chuckled. "I guess I don't really mind. She _does_ need to do well on these exams. Besides, she looks really cute when she's concentrating hard on her studying. Her brow furrows and she bites the corner of her lip…"

"You've got it bad, mate," Harry told him, clasping his shoulder. "Real bad."

….

Late that evening, Harry and Ron stepped back into their kitchen, where Ginny and Hermione were still sitting, pouring over their notes.

"Before you yell at us," Harry said, looking straight at Hermione. "We're not to distract you."

"No," Ron agreed. "We've realized that these exams are very important, and we should let you study as much as you need."

"You've got him trained nicely," Ginny commented to Hermione.

"We just thought we'd bring you some snacks," Harry said, setting down two large mugs of hot chocolate and a platter of cakes.

"We got these from that muggle bakery nearby," Ron said.

"Wow, that was really thoughtful of you," Hermione said, surprised.

"Yes, thank you," Ginny nodded, taking a sip of the hot chocolate.

"We're going to head off to bed," Harry told her. He leaned down and kissed her. "Night."

"Don't ware yourself out too much," Ron said, giving Hermione a quick kiss as well.

"Good night," Hermione echoed as the boys turned and headed off to their respective bedrooms.

Ginny stared after Harry for a moment before turning to Hermione. "You know, Hermione, it is rather late…"

"It is," Hermione agreed, glancing at her watch, showing that it was well past midnight. "And we _have_ been studying the whole day…"

"Perhaps we should, you know, go get some rest," Ginny said. "So we'll be energized to pick up again tomorrow."

"You know, that's not a bad idea," Hermione said, carefully marking her page in her book as she shut it.

"Brilliant," Ginny said, getting to her feet. "Well…good night then."

"Good night," Hermione bid her.

And with that, Ginny quickly climbed up the stairs to Harry's room, while Hermione went straight down to hall to Ron's.


	2. Chapter 2

"Mum and dad are really unbelievable," twelve-year old James Potter said, shaking his head as he paced back and forth in the Potter's living room.  
"Why do you say that?" Albus asked, not bothering to look up from the book he was reading.

"Because it's the middle of our Christmas vacation and they just abandoned us in this house with nothing to do!" James exclaimed.

"They're at _work_ ," Albus said, rolling his eyes.

"Dad locked his office, so we can't even go explore in there to see the cool stuff he's confiscated from the blokes he arrested, mum confiscated all of the fireworks Uncle George gave me, they've hidden all of the sweets…what are we supposed to do here all day?"

"You could start your homework for next term," Albus suggested.

James made a disgusted face at his younger brother. "Start my homework-Have you gone mad, Al? We still have two whole weeks of holiday left! Besides, if I do all my homework now, what will I do on the train on the way back to Hogwarts? Honestly, sometimes it's like you're Aunt Hermione's kid."

"At least I'm not moping around the house all day!" Albus fired back.

"Well at least-"

"What are you two doing?" nine-year old Lily Potter asked, coming into the room.

"Well our dear brother is being 'responsible' and doing his homework," James said, shaking his head.

"That sounds boring," Lily said simply.

"Right you are, Lily," James grinned.

"But Al isn't doing homework," Lily frowned, looking at her second brother.

"What are you talking about? He's siting there reading a _book_ ," James said.

"No," Lily said, stepping towards Albus. "He's only using his textbook to cover _this_!"

She yanked a comic book from behind the thick textbook Albus was reading.

"Hey!" Albus exclaimed. "Give that back!"

" _The Adventures of Martian Miggs, the Mad Muggle: Visions in Television_ ," James read as he swiped the comic from Lily. "Hey! Mum and dad took this from you after you broke the fancy vase Professor McGonagall got them for their wedding yesterday! You'll be in trouble if they find out you snuck up to their room and took it back."

"They're only going to find out if you snitch on me," Albus said, grabbing his comic back.

"I have to say, I'm relieved," James grinned. "You really had me scared with that homework story of yours."

"Yes, well, we _do_ still have two weeks," Albust said, smirking back.

"I'm bored," Lily said. "Can't we do something fun?"

"Lily, I've been thinking of something to do all day," James sighed. "It's no use. Mum and dad's plan to make sure we're completely miserable while they're at work is working."

"Can't we play Quidditch?" Lily asked.

"Quidditch?" James repeated slowly. "Huh…now there's a thought."

"We're not allowed to fly our brooms while it's still light out," Albus reminded his siblings. "After those muggles in the next village over nearly caught a glimpse of us flying last time."

"So we'll fly low," Lily shrugged.

"Excellent, Lil!" James said, clapping his hands together. "You know, you've got the makings of a real troublemaker! You should be proud!"

"If mum and dad find us playing in the middle of broad daylight, they'll have a fit!" Albus said.

"The only way they'll find out is if you snitch," James sneered, using his brother's own words against him.

"Possibly breaking the International Statue of Secrecy is a _bit_ more of a big deal than me taking back my wrongfully confiscated comic!" Albus snapped. "We could get in trouble with the _Ministry_ , which means dad might lose his _job_!"

"They're not gonna fire daddy, he's Harry Potter!" Lily said.

"Er…maybe he has a point, Lil," James said slowly, the idea of the Ministry of Magic getting involved apparently hindering his desire to fly.

"You two are absolutely ridiculous," Lily said, planting her hands on her hips (an action that made her look eerily similar to her mother). "You're both going to pass up _Quidditch_ because you're afraid of getting in trouble? We're Potters! Dad was doing way worse stuff than playing _Quidditch_ when he was our age! When he was twelve like you, James, he was sneaking into a hidden chamber at Hogwarts! And when he was eleven like _you_ , Al, he was saving the Soccer's Stone!"

"You know what…she's right!" James said. "A little game of Quidditch won't do any harm!"

"James! You're not going to let our little sister persuade us, are we?" Albus exclaimed.

"She makes some fair points," James shrugged. "Now come on, I think I can get into the broom shed without using any magic. Uncle George showed me how to break a lock the muggle way last time we were at the joke shop. Come on, now!"

…..

"This is way more fun than sitting around the house all day!" James cheered as he wizzed around the Potter's yard on Harry's Firebolt. "Toss the quaffle here, Al!"

"I guess this is kind of enjoyable," Albus admitted.

"Told you guys!" Lily grinned as she sped around on Ginny's broom. "Hey, we should let a Snitch out and try to catch it!"

"We can't let a Snitch out! What if it flies too high?" Albus said.

"Oh, don't be such a baby," Lily said, rolling her eyes. "It will be-"

"WHAT ON _EARTH_ ARE YOU THREE DOING UP THERE?"

The Potter children looked down and saw their father standing below them, looking absolutely livid.

"Oh no…" James mumbled.

"Busted," Albus sighed.

"Get down here this instant!" Harry roared.

"Dad, let me explain," James started as they landed. "We-"

"A million times!" Harry cut him off. "A million times your mum and I have told you that you can't play Quidditch in the day time! Godric's Hallow is surrounded by Muggle villages! You could've been _seen_! Do you have any idea how serious that would be?"

"We know," Albus said. "But were just bored and-"

"You're in deep trouble," Harry said, shaking his head. "Just you wait till your mum hears about this. She will-"

Suddenly there was a loud sniff and Lily covered her face with her hands and began crying.

"Lily?" Harry frowned. "What are you-"

"I'm sorry, daddy," she cried. "I didn't want to fly! I wanted to listen to you!"

"What the-" James cried, his eyes bulging.

"Are you crazy?" Albus exclaimed.

"They made me do it!" Lily continued to cry, pointing at her elder brothers.

"We did not!" James defended. "This whole thing was _her_ idea!"

"And see what you've done now? You've upset your little sister," Harry said, picking up his daughter in his arms.

Albus and James knew at that moment they were toast. It was no secret that Harry had a soft spot for his little girl.

"Dad, we-"

"You were supposed to be watching her," Harry said firmly. "And instead of being responsible older brothers, you've gone and only set a terrible example for her."

"She's the one who-"

"And worse yet, you're sitting here and _blaming_ this on _her_?" Harry continued.

"It _was_ her idea!" Albus cried.

"She's nine, Albus," Harry said. "She didn't come up with this idea on her own."  
"I just wanted to play with the new doll grandmum got me," Lily sniffed.

"Of course you did, sweetheart," Harry said, wiping her tears with her thumb. "I'm sorry your brothers made you do this. Tell you what? When mummy gets home I'll take _you_ out on a ride on my Firebolt while your brothers are left to deal with whatever punishment mum comes up with."

"That's totally unfair!" James argued.

"That sounds fun, daddy," Lily said sweetly, kissing her father's cheek. "I love you."

"I'm gonna puke," Albus mumbled.

….

"This is completely unfair!" James said for about the hundredth time that evening as he paced angrily in Albus's bedroom. "We're going to be grounded until we're of age, and Lily's off flying around the countryside with dad!"

"We should've seen this coming, Lily _always_ does this," Albus said. "Has she ever gotten in trouble with anything when it comes to dad?"

"Never!" James snapped. "She just pretends to cry, gives him a little kiss, and he does whatever she wants! Meanwhile _we_ always take the fall for her stunts! I get in trouble enough on my own without her adding to the pile!"

"Remember last month when we got blamed when she flooded the bathtub with Evelyn's Everlasting Bubble Bath?" Albus said. "Or when she-"

"Alright, boys, I suppose you'll want to know what your punishment is," Ginny said, coming into the room.

"Lay it on us," James sighed.

"You're going to help Uncle George and Uncle Ron do inventory in the store after closing every day until you go back to school," Ginny said.

"And?" Albus said.

"That's all," Ginny said.

"That-That's not that bad…" James said, slightly shocked.

"No, it's not, is it?" Ginny grinned. "You know…right before your dad took Lily to Hogsmeade for ice cream, he told me that you two tried to convince him that flying those brooms was _her_ idea."

"Well it was!" Albus said. "Not that you'll believe us…"

"Yeah, we know how it works around here," James said. "Lily gets away with everything while old Albus and James take the fall."

"You know, boys," Ginny said. "Your father might believe his daughter can do no wrong, but have an inkling she's a bit more mischievous than he gives her credit for sometimes…"

"Wait," Albus blinked. "Are you saying…you-you believe us?"

"Well, while you two are in no way blameless in all of this, yes, I do believe that Lily played a larger role in it than she convinced your dad," Ginny said.

"Thank you!" James exclaimed. "At least one of you sees that!"

"How come you believe us and dad doesn't?" Albus asked.

"Father's tend to have a soft spot for their daughters," Ginny chuckled. "Especially when they're the _only_ daughter. I should know. Can't tell you how many times I was able to get out of trouble with grandpa when I was Lily's age; it got on my brothers' nerves for ages."

"So Lily gets it from you!" James sputtered. "Mum!"

"Lucky for you guys, that means I know Lily's one weakness in all of this," Ginny smiled.

"Her weakness?" Albus repeated. "What? What is it?"

"Her weakness is that she really _does_ love her older brothers," Ginny said.

"Lovely, but that doesn't do us any good," James said, rolling his eyes.

"Of course it does," Ginny said. "And I'll show you why…"

….

"That was really good ice cream, daddy," Lily said later that evening as her and Harry Flooed back into the Potter's living room. "Thank you!"

"Anytime, Lil," Harry smiled, kissing the top of her bright red head. "Well, it's late. I suspect you should be heading up to bed now."

"Can't I stay up ten more minutes?" Lily asked pleadingly. "I want to watch the muggle box!"

"The _television_ , sweetheart," Harry corrected. "And, well…I suppose it couldn't do any harm to-"

"Oh you two are home," Ginny said, coming downstairs. "How was your ice cream, Lily?"

"Good," Lily replied.

"We stopped off at Honeydukes too," Harry said. "I bought Al and James some licorice wands. I feel sort of bad for yelling at them earlier; they _were_ only trying to have fun."

"No, you weren't hard enough on them," Ginny said, shaking her head. "Honestly, when will those two learn? Flying in the middle of broad daylight? Don't they realize how serious that is?"

"So what's the verdict then?" Harry asked. "Helping George and Ron in the shop? De-gnoming the garden?"

"Ha! Of course I didn't let them get off that easy!" Ginny said.

"What-What did you do to them, mum?" Lily asked.

"I wrote to Professor McGonagall and told her that James will have to miss the rest of the Quidditch season," Ginny said.

"What?" Harry exclaimed. "But he's the Seeker!"

"Well how else is he going to learn his lesson?" Ginny pointed out.

"But-But it was only a bit of flying," Lily said softly.

"What about Albus?" Harry asked.

"I've arranged it with Neville," Ginny said. "When term starts, he's to go down to the greenhouses every day for a month to help spread fresh manure on all the plants."

"Yuck!" Lily cringed.

"Yes, it certainly won't be pleasant," Ginny agreed. "He'll be going after dinner, which of course means he'll miss Gobstones Club, but like I said, he needs to learn his lesson."

"But Albus just spent all of his birthday savings on that new set of Gobstones," Lily said. "He can't wait to go back to school to play!"

"Lily dear, don't worry about your brothers, they're simply getting the punishments they deserve," Ginny said soothingly. "I only wish they could be more like you; you _never_ get into any trouble."

Lily bit the corner of her lip guiltily.

"Gin, those-those punishments seem a bit…harsh," Harry said. "Can't you just-"

"I think we need to do more, to be honest," Ginny sighed. "Let's see…Oh, I know! Charlie was supposed to take the kids to see the Sweedish Short-Snout he's studying this weekend. We should tell the boys they can't go anymore!"

"That's not fair!" Lily said at once.

"Oh Lily, don't worry, you'll still get to go," Ginny smiled. " _You_ didn't do anything wrong, after all. Right?"

"Ginny, don't take this the wrong way, but have you completely flown off the handle?" Harry asked. "It _was_ just a bit of flying."

"They deliberately disobeyed us!" Ginny said. "And then not only that, they tried to drag their sister into trouble with them as well!"

"Yes but-"

"It was my idea!" Lily suddenly blurted out. "All mine!"

"Huh?" Harry frowned. "Lily, what are you talking about?"

"I was the one who said we should fly today!" Lily sniffed. "Albus and James said we shouldn't but I convinced them. They didn't force me to do anything. And they shouldn't be in so much trouble for something that was my idea."

"It was _your_ idea?" Harry repeated, absolutely flabbergasted. "Lily! I-I don't believe-"

"Thank you for telling the truth, Lily," Ginny said simply. "That was the right thing for you to do. Hopefully you'll remember this next time you try to make your brothers take the fall for you. Now go up to your room. I'll be in there in a minute to go over _your_ punishment with you."

"Okay," Lily mumbled, dragging her feet upstairs.

Harry turned and looked at his wife. "You didn't really punish the boys like you said, did you?"

"Of course I didn't," Ginny said. "I only wanted Lily to feel guilty enough to come clean about everything."

"But how'd you know it was her idea?" Harry asked.

"I'm a little sister, just like she is," Ginny grinned. "I know how she operates."

"I just can't believe Lily would do something like this," Harry sighed.

"Harry, open your eyes," Ginny chuckled. "I know you think she's your innocent little girl, but she's just as much of a troublemaker as Albus and James. In fact, sometimes I think she could give them _both_ a run for their money..."


	3. Chapter 3

"Ah! That's my fifth bite!" Harry exclaimed, angrily tossing a gnome over the Burrow's fence.

"I've got four myself," Ron said. "Bloody things are vicious today."

"Harry! There you are!"

Harry and Ron spun around and saw Molly Weasley striding across the yard.

"What are you doing out here, Harry?" Molly asked.

"Oh, I thought Ron could use a hand de-gnoming the garden," Harry explained.

"You shouldn't be worrying about gnomes right now," Molly said. "It's the day before your wedding! Leave Ron to handle the yard."

"Thanks, mum," Ron said, rolling his eyes.

"You didn't have to do yard work the day before _your_ wedding, did you?" Molly said firmly, planting her hands on her hip.

"It's alright, Molly, I really don't mind," Harry said quickly.

"Well, Arthur would actually like to have a word with you," Molly told him. "He's over in his work shed."

"Oh," Harry said, slightly surprised. "Alright. I'll go see him now."

"Brilliant, I'll just finish up with these buggars alone then," Ron muttered, swinging a kick at a wander gnome.

Harry walked across the yard to the small, wooden shed that Mr. Weasley used house his many muggle devices that he liked to tinker with in his spare time. He knocked on the door.

"Come in!" Mr. Weasley called cheerfully from inside.

"Er, Molly said you wanted to see me?" Harry said, stepping into the shed.

"Yes," Arthur smiled, setting down the microwave he had been fidgeting with. "I did."

"Did you need help with that?" Harry asked, nodding at the microwave.

"Huh? Oh no," Arthur said quickly. "That's just a project I've been working on in my spare time. It's one of those blender units, isn't it?"  
"Er, it's a microwave, actually," Harry smiled. "It warms up food quickly."

"Really?" Arthur said, impressed. "Genius…Well, no matter then. Anyway…feeling nervous? It's your big day tomorrow."

"No, I'm actually not," Harry smiled. "Can't wait, as a matter of fact."

"Good to hear," Arthur said, clasping Harry's shoulder. "I'm very fortunate that Ginny's marrying somebody like you. I know you'll treat her properly."

"Of course I will," Harry said. "I love her. Besides, I reckon she'd hex me senseless if I ever did anything to her."

"You're right there," Arthur chuckled. "Well, speaking of the wedding, the reason I wanted to talk to you is that I wanted to give your gift a bit early. Now of course Molly and I have something for you and Ginny that you'll be getting at the ceremony tomorrow, but I thought this should be given in private…mainly because Molly would have my head if she knew about it."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked hesitantly.

Arthur stepped over to a large item covered in an old sheet. He pulled off the sheet, revealing a large, black motorcycle. "Recognize it?"

"Y-Yeah," Harry said at once. "That's Sirius's bike!"

"It is," Arthur nodded.

"But-But I thought it got destroyed when Hagrid and I were being chased by those Death Eaters," Harry said, confused.

"Oh it was," Arthur replied. "But I fixed it. Took a few years, but I just finished the last of it last night."

"Arthur, I-I don't know what to say," Harry said, feeling tears well in his eyes as he stared at his godfather's prized possession. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Arthur said sincerely. "I will give you one warning, though."  
"What's that?"

"Don't let Ginny know that this thing can still fly," Arthur said. "If she's anything like her mother, she won't approve of this one bit."

Harry laughed. "Actually, Arthur, I reckon Ginny's going to want to fly this the second she sees it."


	4. Chapter 4

"Harry, go up there and talk to him!" Ginny fumed, crossing her arms. "He's not taking these exams seriously at all!"

"He said he's up there studying," Harry pointed out, looking up from the _Daily Prophet_ he had been reading.

"And you really believe him?" Ginny said, raising an eyebrow. "Harry, these are his O.W.L.s. Apart from his N. .s, they're the most important exams James will ever take in his life, and he hasn't even started studying. _Rose_ has already starting studying for hers, and she's a year behind him!"

"We can't really hold him to Rose's studying standards," Harry reasoned. "She outdoes Hermione with schoolwork."

"I'm not saying he has to study as hard as Rose," Ginny said. "But it'd be nice if he'd at least crack open a book. Aren't you concerned about his grades?"

"Of course I am!" Harry defended. "I'll go talk to him."

"Thank you," Ginny said, giving him a quick kiss.

Harry set down his newspaper and headed up to his eldest son's bedroom. He knocked shortly before opening the door, finding James lying on his bed, flipping through a copy of a muggle comic book. His textbooks sat on his desk, untouched.

"James, you're supposed to be up here studying," Harry sighed. "Your O.W.L.s are just a few months away."

"Just taking a quick study break, dad," James assured him.

"I think to take a study break, you need to actually have studied at least a little bit," Harry said, rolling his eyes.

"I'll get to it," James said dismissively.

"How about you get to it now?" Harry suggested.

"I'm busy."

"James…these tests are important," Harry frowned, trying to sound firm. "They determine what N.E.W.T. level classes you're eligible to take next year, and those classes determine what sort of job you can get once you leave Hogwarts."

"I already know what I want to do when I leave Hogwarts," James shrugged. "I'll be an Auror like you."

"Yes, well, to be an Auror you need to take lots of N.E.W.T. classes," Harry said. "Which means you need top grades on your Transfiguration, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Charms, and Potions exams."

"Or a father who's head of the department," James grinned.

"No," Harry said firmly. "That's not how it works. If you want to be an Auror, you need to work for it like everybody else."

"Well you got to be an Auror without even graduating Hogwarts," James pointed out.

"That-That's different," Harry said lamely. "Look, you need to study. The exams are in May and-"

"When did you start studying for your O.W.L.s?" James asked.

"Around-Around this time," Harry said quickly. "So-"

"Uncle Ron said you and him didn't start studying for your O.W.L's until April," James smirked.

Harry cursed Ron under his breath. "Well, maybe if I had started studying earlier, I would've gotten better grades."

"Thought your grades were alright," James countered. "You got into all the N.E.W.T. classes you needed, didn't you?"

"Well…yes," Harrys said. "But I didn't pass Divination or History of Magic. And-And those classes are really important!"

"No they're not," James scoffed. "Besides, I'm not even in Divination. I took Muggle studies instead, and thanks to all the electronic stuff you have around here, I'll pass that exam with flying colors without even trying. As for History of Magic, all I have to do is pick one of the billions of stories that you told me about the Battle of Hogwarts or the reign of Voldemort, and I'll scrape by."

"James…" Harry sighed, rolling his eyes. "I don't care about what I did when I was your age and taking these exams. I want you to _learn_ from my mistakes."

"I'd say I'm doing a pretty good job of learning from your mistakes, though," James said simply. "Haven't flown any cars into the Whomping Willow. Haven't formed any secret organizations teaching my classmates to fight. Haven't snuck down to a secret chamber in the school. Haven't used Polyjuice Potion to impersonate anybody. Haven't-"

"James Sirius Potter, how many times have I told you not to pull any of that?" Harry snapped.

"All I'm saying is, I'm basically a model student compared to you," James said, picking his comic back up. "Even if I do procrastinate studying a bit."

Harry opened his mouth to argue, but quickly shut it and shook his head. "I tried, I give up. You'll have your mother to deal with now."

"Mum?" James repeated.

"Oh yes, she's quite irritated that you haven't been taking your studying seriously," Harry nodded. "I suppose now she'll be on her way up soon to have a word with you herself."

"Fine, alright!" James said quickly, tossing the comic aside and grabbing his Transfiguration book from his desk. "I'm _studying._ "

"Huh…should've started with that," Harry commented. "I'll have to remember that for next time."

Harry left his son's room and returned downstairs, where Ginny was waiting.

"Is he studying now?" she asked.

"Yes," Harry nodded. "But I tell you, that boy is bloody impossible to talk to. I try to say one thing to him and he sits there and recounts every rule I broke when I was his age. Makes himself look like Prefect material compared to me."

"Well why do you tell him about all the rules you broke?" Ginny said, amused.

"Ron tells him," Harry said darkly, grabbing his jacket.

"Where are you going?" Ginny asked.

"Over to Ron's to repay the favor," Harry replied. "I figure I won't be able to much to get Rose off track from studying, but I still may have a chance with Hugo. Let's see, should I go with the giant chessboard story? Or do you reckon I go with the time we followed a trail of spiders into the Forbidden Forest and came face-to-face with Aragog and his family? Oh, I think I'll do both."

….


	5. Chapter 5

"I'm telling you," Ron said as he sat in Harry and Ginny's living room, finishing off his third butterbeer of the evening. "With their new Seeker, the Cannons are soaring right to the finals this year."  
"Ron, we've been through this every year," Harry sighed. "The Cannons could hand-pick the best players from every country in the world, and they'd still manage to come in at the bottom of the league."

"You'll see," Ron said simply. "Anyway, speaking of Quidditch, Charlie is going to be staying at the Burrow for the next week. He's handling some business about dragon hunting laws at the Ministry, or something along those lines. But he wanted to know if you'd be up for a pick-up game tonight. With me, you, George, Angelina and Bill, we'd have plenty for a good match."

"Sure," Harry grinned. "Sounds fun."

Just then there was a loud popping sound, and Hermione apperated into the middle of the living room.

"Thought I'd find you here," she said to her husband. "What are you two up to?"

"I was telling Harry all about the Chaser's new Seeker," Ron replied.

"Oh right, that Morris fellow," Hermione said.  
"Mullens!" Ron exclaimed. "Honestly, women, how can you call yourself my wife if you don't know the line-up of the Chudley Cannons?"

Hermione rose an eyebrow, glaring silently back at him.

"I mean…er, is that a new jumper? Looks absolutely stunning on you," Ron said quickly as Harry snickered into his own drink.

"Nice try," Hermione said, rolling her eyes. She turned to Harry. "Is Ginny around?"

"She's upstairs taking a nap," Harry told her.

"No," Ginny said, descending the stairs. "I'm not."

She stepped into the living room, her hand placed upon the swell of her abdomen.

"I thought you were exhausted," Harry said as Ginny sat herself down in the nearby armchair.

"I am," Ginny sighed. "But your son decided that now would be the perfect time to practice his kicking. I don't know what he's trying to prove in there, but he's being more active than a niffler searching for gold at the moment."

"Only one more month," Hermione reminded her sympathetically.

"Do you want some tea?" Harry asked.

"No, because the only tea I can have is that disgusting herbal tea the healer recommended," Ginny snapped. "Tastes like boiled socks."

"Well are you hungry?" Harry asked. "Your mum brought some Sheppard's pie over. I can make you a plate."

"How many times have I told you, Harry, meat makes me nauseous," Ginny said, rolling her eyes. "Morning sickness is bad enough, I'd prefer not to be vomiting throughout the entire day as well."

"Well, as fun as it seems here," Ron said, getting to his feet. "We should be off. We're meeting Hermione's parents for lunch. I'll see you at the Burrow tonight for Quidditch then, Harry."

"Quidditch?" Ginny repeated.

"Oh yeah," Harry said. "Charlie's in town, so we thought we'd have a little match tonight."

"So you're going to be spending the entire evening zooming around on a broomstick?" Ginny said slowly. "While _I_ am stuck on the ground, more uncomfortable than you can possibly imagine, growing _your_ child."

"Er…" Harry said. "Well, when you put it that way…"

"Oh no, please, go on and have a good time," Ginny said hotly. "Be sure to tell me all about it."

Harry turned to Ron. "You'll have to count me out tonight, mate."

"Right," Ron nodded. "Well…have fun here then."

"Bye Harry," Hermione said, taking Ron's hand. "Bye Ginny."

As the couple disapperated, Ginny turned to her husband. "I _told_ you that you could go."

"I know," Harry said simply, walking over and giving her a kiss on the temple. "But I decided I'd fancy a night in instead."

"That's the most pathetic lie I've heard in my life," Ginny scoffed. "Honestly, Potter, you'd think the Chosen One could at least come up with something better than that."

….

That evening, Ginny was sitting in bed, flipping through a parenting book that Hermione had picked up for her.

"Good, you're still awake," Harry said, walking into the bedroom with a steaming mug of tea. "Now, I know you said the herbal tea tasted disgusting, and you're right, tried a bit myself, but I think I managed to give it a bit of flavor. I spent the past hour down in the kitchen trying some different ingredients, and I think that I finally came up with a winner. Bit of cinnamon, sugar, and vanilla."

"Oh Harry," Ginny said, putting her book down. "That was so thoughtful." She took the tea and sipped it.

"How is it?" Harry asked.

"Delicious," Ginny smiled as he sat down in the bed next to her. "Thank you. Didn't know you were so talented in the kitchen."

"Is he still kicking like mad in there?" Harry asked, resting a hand on his wife's abdomen.

"He's quieted down, a bit," Ginny told him.

"Maybe we'll have to put him in muggle football," Harry grinned. "Oh! Nearly forgot…I went down to Flourish and Blotts this afternoon while you were visiting Luna. Found this book that had a load of helpful tips for dealing with pregnancies. Apparently ginger root is really helpful with nausea. I picked some up if you want to try and-er, what's wrong?"

Ginny had started crying, burying her head in hands.

"Gin, are you alright?" Harry frowned, wrapping his arms around her. "Is it the baby? Should we go to St. Mungo's or-"

"No," Ginny sniffed. "No, it's…Harry, you've been _so_ perfect throughout this whole pregnancy."

"Oh…" Harry said, confused. "Um, sorry? I didn't think that'd be something that'd make you cry."

"I just feel so awful," Ginny sighed. "Here you are, being a wonderful husband, and I'm being an irritable, unreasonable, wife. I yell at you for doing nothing but trying to help me. I'm a monster; Rita Skeeter is right. You _do_ deserve someone much better than me."

"Hey, first of all, there is _no one_ better than you," Harry said. "And since when have you started paying that woman any mind? The day she writes something with an ounce of fact in it is the day the Cannons win the National Quidditch Series."

"Yes, but-"

"Ginny, you're carrying our child," Harry smiled. "You can yell and scream and order me around as much as you like. Besides, I know it's just the pregnancy."

"Yeah," Ginny said, smiling back at him. "I reckon it is. I feel so wonky all of the time."

"Your dad told me your mum was the same way," Harry told her. "After we told your parents about the baby, he pulled me aside and told me what I was in for."

"Did he?" Ginny said, rolling her eyes. "I suppose in his defense, he did have to go through all of this six times."

She craned her neck and gently kissed Harry's lips. "Listen, you could probably still make it to the Burrow for that Quidditch game. Why don't you go ahead?"

"No, that's alright," Harry told her.

"Harry, I'm serious, it's more than okay if you go," Ginny assured him. "I won't be mad at all. You deserve a break too."

"I'm serious too, I don't want to go," Harry told her, his arm still around her. "The only place I want to be right now is here with you. Both of you."


	6. Chapter 6

"Why do you have to go?" Ginny asked as she watched Harry pull on his trainers.

"I have to sign some forms," Harry muttered.

"Couldn't you just send them in with an owl?" Ginny asked.

"I wish," Harry said. "But Kingsley insisted I come in. Believe me, Gin, I don't exactly want to see the Dursley's right now…or ever again, really. Hopefully I'll just sign what I need to sign and it will all be done."

"Want me to come with you?" Ginny asked. "I can 'accidently' aim a nice Bat Boogy Hex at that cousin of yours."

"Tempting," Harry smiled. "But I think it'd be best if I went alone."

"Well alright," Ginny conceded, standing up and walking over to him. She leaned up and placed a long kiss on his lips. "When you get back, I was thinking we could try and get a pick-up game of Quidditch going. Maybe George will play this time… I don't think he's left his room for than a few times since the funeral last month. It'd be good for him to get some fresh air."

"It would," Harry agreed.

"Just don't let them get to you," Ginny said softly, her arms still wrapped around Harry. "You're done with them now. Forever."

Harry leaned down and kissed her again, running his fingers through her hair.

"Oi! Really?" Ron exclaimed as he came into the room. "Do I have to walk in here and see you two snogging all the time?"

"Wouldn't happen if you knocked," Ginny shrugged as her and Harry pulled apart.

"It's my room!" Ron defended. He turned to Harry. "You off to the Ministry then?"

"Yes," Harry sighed, grabbing his wand and tucking it into his pocket. "Should be a quick trip, though."

"Mind turning in my forms to the Auror department?" Ron asked. "That way I'll be all set to start training next week."

"Sure, I'll turn mine in as well," Harry said as Ron handed him a small stack of parchment from his desk. He turned to Ginny. "Bye."

"Bye," Ginny said, giving him another quick kiss on the cheek, causing Ron to roll his eyes.

…

"Right through here," Kingsley told Harry, opening the door to an empty interview room. "They're being brought here now."

"Great," Harry said, sitting down at the table. "Er, this won't take long, will it?"

"Shouldn't be more than half-an-hour," Kingsley nodded. "Would you like me to leave the four of you for a moment and let you catch up when they arrive?"

"No," Harry said at once. "No, I'd like this done as quickly as possible."

"Aright," Kingsley said, nodding understandingly. "Ah, that will be them now…"

The door opened up and a young wizard ushered Vernon, Petunia, and Dudley Dursley into the room.

"Hello," Kingsley said, extending his hand to Vernon Dursely. "Don't think we've had the pleasure of meeting directly. I'm the acting Minister of Magic, Kingsley Sh-"

"Ah! So you're the one who has kept us waiting this long!" Vernon said loudly. "We were told we would only be kept in hiding as long as that bloody war you got yourselves into was going on. Bloke who brought us over here said it's been over nearly a month!"

"Yes, well, we've had limited man power to restore everything back to normal," Kingsley explained calmly. "We needed time to secure and repair your residence-"

"Repairs?" Vernon sputtered. "To our home? What the hell happened to it?"

"It was destroyed," Harry spoke up. "That was _why_ you went into hiding in the first place. We told you the Death Eaters would be looking for me there, and they did."

"We've told your neighbors there was an electric fire," Kingsley nodded. "So we will need you to stick to that story."

"We will not be paying for any of the damages!" Vernon said firmly. "Not a cent!"

"Of course not, everything has been covered for you," Kinsley said smoothly. "And I assure you, your home is fully restored to its original condition."

"I'll be the judge of that," Vernon scoffed.

"Please, have a seat so we can get started with this process," Kingsley said, ignoring Vernon's comment.

The three Dursley sat at the table, across from Harry. Petunia gave a quick glance towards Harry and then diverted her eyes down to her lap. Dudley gave his cousin a curious look. "Did you win?" he asked.

"Sorry?" Harry frowned.

"The-The war," Dudley said. "Did you win?"

"Oh, um, I suppose so," Harry said.

"The causalities were heavy on both sides," Kinsley said. "But yes, our side did win." He turned to Harry. "How have Arthur and Molly been? Haven't seen them since the funeral."

"They're managing," Harry said. "They're really strong."

"They are," Kinsley agreed, pulling a stack of parchment from his bag. "Now then…the three of you are returning home to Number 4, Privet Drive, correct?"

"Of course we're returning," Vernon said. "Won't let you push us out!"

"When you vacated the home, there were four residents," Kingsley continued. "The three of you, and Mr. Harry Potter here. Harry, are you returning to live at the home?"

"No," Harry said at once before Vernon could open his mouth. "Absolutely not."

Petunia pursed her lips as she finally looked up. "Where will he be staying?" she asked softly, avoiding her husband's stare.

"You've made arrangements Harry, correct?" Kingsley asked.

"I'm staying with the Weasley's for the rest of the summer," Harry nodded. "Ron and I are going to be moving into a flat at the start of September."

"Very good," Kingsley said, jotting this information down. "Now then, I'm aware you have been able to work for this past year, Mr. Dursley."

"No I have not," Vernon nodded. "And I would like to know how you plan on compensating me for the time I missed!"

"The money you would have collected had you been attending work has been transferred into your muggle bank account," Kingsley explained. "And your job at Grunnings has been secured for you and you can resume your position on Monday. Your supervisor is under the impression that you've just completed an overseas project…again, you will need to follow that story."

Vernon looked slightly surprised, but simply gave a nod.

"Right then," Kingsley said, jotting down a few more things on his piece of parchment. "I will just need signatures from the four of you."

Harry and the Dusleys' quickly signed their names and handed the parchment back to Kingsley.

"That just about finishes everything," Kingsley said, rolling the parchment back up. "I'm sorry to rush out, but I do have quite a few meetings I need to go to. Harry, I'll see you Monday for your first day of Auror training. Durselys, it's been a…pleasure. If you take the lift down to the ground floor, you'll see signs directing you to the muggle exit. Unless there any further concerns or situations that arise, I daresay this will be the last you see of our Ministry."

"Brilliant news!" Vernon said, getting to his feet as Kingsley left the room. "Petunia, Dudley, let's get out of here so we can see the state of our home. They can expect a bill if I find a pillow out of place!"

Petunia stood up slowly, casting one last look at Harry.

"I'm glad you're safe," she said in a voice hardly louder than a whisper.

Harry hardly had time to process what she said before she turned and rushed out of the room.

"Dudley, come now," Vernon said, waiting by the door for his son. "We haven't got all day."

Dudley ignored his father and stayed seated. "Harry?" he said hesitantly. "Um, listen…I-I've just got some things that, um, I-I really need you to hear. Is that okay?"

Harry blinked. "Um…alright then," he said slowly.

"Dudley!" Vernon barked. "Now!"

"I'm sorry," Dudley said, still ignoring his father. "I know an apology doesn't even begin to cover all of the things we've put you through all these years but, I-I just need you to know that I really am sorry. I'm sorry for bullying you when we were in school. I'm sorry for always going out of my way to make sure you were as miserable as possible. I'm sorry for treating you like you weren't a person…I'm sorry for the way my parents treated you as well, especially dad. He was nothing but cruel to you."

"Now you listen here, Dudley!" Vernon said firmly. "I don't know what's gotten into you, but that boy was nothing but trouble under our roof! We took him out of the kindness of our hearts and-"

"You treated him like dirt!" Dudley said, turning to face his father. "He lived with us for sixteen years! Never once did you bother to get him a birthday present or hang a stocking up for him or even hug him! You put him in a cupboard under the stairs!"

Harry could hardly believe the scene in front of him. He was almost too stunned to move.

"You never even told him about his parents," Dudley said, his face bright red now. "You were horrible to him. So was mum. And so was I." He turned back to Harry. "I don't expect you to forgive me, but…I-I'd really like to try and make things right, if-if that'd be alright with you." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a scrap of paper. "They gave us each new mobile phones when we went into hiding. This-This is my number. If you'd ever like to meet some time and get coffee or chat or whatever, I-I'd like it if gave me a ring. I-I understand if you'd rather not, though."

Harry took the slip of paper and tucked it into his pocket. "Right. Um…thank you."

"I hope I'll see you around then," Dudley said, turning and walking right past his father out the door.

…


	7. Chapter 7

"They eat that often?" Ron frowned as he stared down at the page of the book in front of him. "Every three hours? I don't even eat that often."

"I'm sure babies aren't eating as much in a sitting as you do," Hermione pointed out, looking up at her husband. "And see the diagram here? That's the proper way to burp the baby after she eats."

"I've seen Harry do that with James a million times," Ron chuckled. "James always manages to spit-up on Harry…it's great."

"Have _you_ ever burped James before?" Hermione asked.

"After seeing Harry's shirts get ruined each time? No," Ron scoffed.

Hermione sighed, closing the book and resting her hands on her abdomen. "Ron, in three months, the two of us are going to have a baby."

"Er, yes, I've realized that," Ron frowned.

"Well that means in three months, we're going to have to do all of the stuff we've watched Harry and your brothers do with their own children," Hermione said. "And-And frankly, I don't think we're prepared!"

"What do you mean we're not prepared?" Ron frowned. "We've been through about six books!"

"Yes, but books can only teach us so much," Hermione pointed out. "I think we need some more practical training."

"What do you mean?" Ron frowned.

"I was thinking," Hermione began. "Harry and Ginny's anniversary is next week, right?"

"Yes," Ron nodded.  
"Well, I'm sure the two of them would love to have a few days to themselves to celebrate," Hermione said. "Especially now that they've found out they'll be having a second baby soon. How would you feel about asking them if we could watch James while they go away for a weekend?"

"By ourselves?" Ron frowned.

"It'd be the perfect opportunity for us to practice taking care of a baby," Hermione nodded. "I know we've handled babies before, but never for a long period of time. I think we really need this."

"Well…I-I guess we can run it by Harry and Ginny," Ron said. "Suppose it would be good to get practice changing nappies. Not quite sure how to fold them up still…."

"Brilliant," Hermione beamed, pulling herself to her feet. "Let's go over there now."

Ron stood up and took her hand, and in the blink of an eye they disapperated from their own home into the Potter's living room, where Harry was sitting on the couch with a babbling James in his arms.

"Hey," Harry said.

"'-lo!" James said loudly, looking over at Ron and Hermione.

"Oh! Is he trying to say 'hello'?" Hermione gasped.

"Yeah, he is," Harry said, smiling proudly. "He started saying it last night when Andy brought Teddy over."

"Wow, impressive," Ron said, rustling the infant's hair. "Blimey…why's it freezing in here?"

"Because Ginny insists that the place feels like a furnace, so she set up a cooling charm in every room," Harry sighed. "I think I prefer this, though. When she was pregnant with James, she kept the house boiling."

"That's what this one does," Ron said, nodding over at Hermione.

"The house is perfectly comfortable," Hermione snapped. "And as the one carrying _your_ child, I think I've earned the right to adjust the temperature as I please."

"But I've been melting every night!" Ron said. "I've-ow!" Harry had elbowed him square in the ribs.

"Just agree with her, mate," Harry muttered. "Believe me, it's far easier."

"Thank you, Harry," Hermione smiled, sitting down in the nearby armchair. "Where's Ginny? Ron and I actually have something we want to ask you."

"She's covering a match in Manchester," Harry replied. "Won't be home until tonight most likely. What'd you want to talk about, though?"

"Well, we just thought with the baby coming in three months, it'd be a good idea for us to, well, get a bit of practice looking after one," Hermione explained. "We know its your guys' anniversary next weekend, so we thought it'd be the perfect opportunity for us to watch James for a couple of days while you two go away together."

"Wait…seriously?" Harry said.

"Of course we'd understand if you wouldn't be comfortable with that," Hermione said quickly. "James is hardly a year old, and-"

"Hermione, of _course_ we'd love that!" Harry said. "We were just saying last night how we wished we could take some time for ourselves."

"Shouldn't you check with Ginny first?" Ron asked.

"I guarantee you she'll be on board," Harry said. "We haven't had a night to ourselves in months."

"Perfect," Hermione said, smiling down at James.

"Did you hear that, James?" Harry asked his son. "You'll be spending next weekend with Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron."

"You really think this will help us know how to handle a baby?" Ron asked.

"You know, I reckon all the practice Ginny and I got with Teddy really helped us when James was born," Harry reasoned.

"Exactly," Hermione nodded. "This will be good for us, Ron. You'll see."

….

"This should be everything you need," Ginny said, handing Ron a large bag. "Clothes, toys, nappies, bottles….His favorite blanket and stuffed hippogriff are at the top. He won't go down to sleep without them. He's been really into climbing on everything lately, so make sure you always have an eye on him."

"Of course we will," Hermione said.

"He's been really picky about food lately as well," Harry added. "So you may have some difficulty come dinner time. If he had it his way, he'd be eating crackers and cake all day."

"Can't say I blame him," Ron chuckled.

"This is the address of the inn we'll be staying at," Ginny said, handing a slip of parchment to Hermione. "Floo us if you need us."

"We will," Hermione promised. "Have fun, you two."

"We will," Ginny said, kissing the top of her son's head. "Bye, Jamie. Mummy and daddy will see you Sunday night. You be a good boy for Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron."

"Take it easy on them," Harry added, kissing James as well. He handed James over to Ron. "Thanks again, you guys."

"Well, what do we do with him?" Ron asked as Harry and Ginny disapperated.

"What do you mean 'what do we do with him'?" Hermione frowned. "We have to look after him! We need to feed him and change him and play with him-"

"-ay!" James said loudly, reaching up and tugging Ron's ear.

"See? He wants to play," Hermione said.

"What are we supposed to play with him?" Ron asked.

"Let me find his toys," Hermione said, taking James' bag and riffling through it. "Here we are. Blocks, floating rings, a toy broomstick-"

"Boo!" James said, reaching excitedly towards the small broomstick Hermione had just pulled out.

"Cool!" Ron said. "Forgot they got that for him on his birthday last month. Bet he can play on this thing for hours."

"Well…alright," Hermione said hesitantly, setting down the broomstick. Ron set James down next to it and the couple watched as the child climbed onto the broomstick and squealed with delight. "We'll just need to watch him closely.

"I don't think the thing goes very fast," Ron pointed out.

"Yes, but it could still be dangerous," Hermione insisted.

"How? It goes about six inches off the ground," Ron said, rolling his eyes.

"He's a baby, Ron!" Hermione hissed. "I'm sure he could find a way to-"

The couple's argument was cut short as they heard a loud crash, shortly followed by a scream from James. Ron and Hermione spun around and saw that James had flown the broom into the kitchen table. He was clutching his forehead as he continued to bawl.

"James!" Hermione gasped as Ron scrambled to pick him up. "Oh, he's _hurt_ Ron!"

"Uh-oh…" Ron said, his face turning white. "Hermione, his forehead is bleeding."

"Give-Give him to me," Hermione said, her voice shaking. "You go get the first aid kit from the bathroom."

"Right," Ron said quickly, gently handing the screaming child over.

"Oh James, you poor thing," Hermione said, gently bouncing the baby up and down.

"Here," Ron said, returning with a small box. Hermione sat James on the surface of the table and opened it up. She pulled out a small bottle.

"Try and have him move his hands so I can see the wound," Hermione told her husband.

"Blimey, Hermione, you have to say _wound_?" Ron grimaced. "Makes it sound awful."

"It is awful!" Hermione snapped. "We've been left with our best friends' baby for no less than two minutes and he already hurt himself."

"Er…right then," Ron said, taking James' hand and carefully moving them away from his forehead.

"It doesn't look very deep," Hermione said, dabbing the cut with a rag, causing James to fuss even more.

"We looked away for two seconds," Ron said, shaking his head. "I can't believe it…"

"That's why we need to keep our eyes on him at all times," Hermione said firmly, stepping back to assess James' forehead.

"Here, see if this will calm him down," Ron said, grabbing a biscuit from the tin on the counter. He handed it to James, who immediately stopped crying and began nibbling happily.

"Ron, he hasn't had his lunch yet, you can't be giving him sweets," Hermione sighed.

"The poor kid has a huge gash in his forehead, I reckon he deserves a treat!" Ron defended.

"Gash?" Hermione squeaked, her eyes beginning to water.

"Oh, er, no, no, that's not what I meant to say," Ron said quickly. "Er, look this was all my fault, really. I'm the one who thought the broomstick wasn't dangerous. But you can barely see the cut now! And James is calming down now."

Sure enough, as James finished the last of his biscuit, his usual smile began to return to his face.

"See? All better, right, champ?" Ron said, picking up the child.

James babbled happily, reaching up towards Ron hair and grabbing a fistful.

"See? He always pulls my hair; he's back to normal," Ron said, wincing slightly.

"I-I suppose you're right," Hermione said, wiping her eyes. "But let's try to keep him off the broomstick for now. I know! I'll get some of those pictures books that we bought the other day. I'm sure James will love them."

"Yeah, he'll love those far more than some boring old broomstick," Ron nodded, trying the best he could to sound as sincere as possible. "Any child would."

….

"Okay, I give up!" Ron said, covering his ears later that evening as James continued to scream his lungs out.

"Ron, you can't just give up!" Hermione snapped, rocking James in her arms, to no avail. "You won't be able to just give up when our own child is crying like this."

"This child is half-Ginny," Ron muttered darkly. "I'm sure he could scream for days if you let him."

"I just don't know what could be wrong," Hermione said, ignoring his comment. "He's changed, he just ate, we burped him…"

"Maybe more warm milk?" Ron suggested, holding up the empty bottle.

"No, too much will make him sick," Hermione said, shaking her head.

"He probably misses Harry and Ginny," Ron sighed. "Kid's never been away from them for so long."

"Is that it, James?" Hermione asked. "You miss your mummy and daddy?"

At the mention of his parents, James looked around the room, as though searching for them, and then cried even harder when he realized they still weren't there.

"Aw James, they'll be back before you know it," Hermione said, rubbing his back soothingly. "But in the meantime you have to stop crying, okay? You'll feel much better once you stop."

"Don't think reason is going to work with a one-year old," Ron said. "Hang on, I'm going to check his bag. See if maybe there's some toy he might like."

He began going through James' bag, pulling out clothes, stuffed animals, and nappies.

"My!" James suddenly cried, reaching towards one of the stuffed animals Ron had just taken out.

"What's that?" Hermione asked. "Oh Ron, that's right! His stuffed hippogriff and blanket! Ginny said those calm him right down!"

Ron quickly grabbed the blanket and hippogriff and handed them to James. At once, James stopped crying and hugged the items close to his body. Slowly, his eyes began closing, and within a minute, he was fast asleep against Hermione's chest.

"Are you kidding me?" Ron whispered in shock. "That's all it took? We've been trying to get him to stop crying and go to sleep for the past three hours!"

"He was probably trying to tell us," Hermione said, gently placing James in his cot. "We just didn't understand."

"So we're supposed to just know what he wants?" Ron frowned. "Bloody hell…what if when our daughter comes we can't figure out what she wants?"

"Well…Harry and Ginny knew about the hippogriff and blanket because James is their son; they spend so much time with him that I'm sure they've become very attuned with picking up on his needs. When our daughter comes, we'll be spending just as much time with her…I'm sure we'll become very good at figuring out what she wants."

"I hope so," Ron sighed. "You know…I think you were right. We did need this practice. Now we know exactly what we're up against in three months."

"Think we can handle it?" Hermione asked, giving him a small smile.

"Well we have to, don't we?" Ron smirked. "Baby's on her way; can't do anything about that now. But I think we can do it…I know we can. You'll just have to be the practical parent who makes sure the baby doesn't fly a broomstick into a table."

"And you'll just have to be the one who doesn't lose his head every time something happens," Hermione told him.

"See? We'll be fine," Ron said. "We'll be exhausted and worn out all the time, but we'll be fine."

"I can't wait," Hermione said, leaning up to give her husband a quick kiss.

…

"So? How was it?" Hermione asked Sunday evening as Harry and Ginny apperated into the Weasley's living room.

"Relaxing," Ginny said at once. "And very needed. Thank you for watching James, I hope he wasn't too much trouble."

"Of course he wasn't," Hermione replied.

"Where is he?" Harry asked, looking around.

"Oh, Ron's just upstairs changing him," Hermione told him.

Right on cue, Ron came downstairs with James. The second James spotted his parents, his face lit up and he held out his arms.

"Da! Mu!"

"Hi, Jamie!" Ginny beamed, taking James into her arms. "Oh, mummy and daddy missed you so much."

"It was too quiet without you, buddy," Harry smiled.

"Kid's got quite the pair of lungs on him," Ron commented, looking at his sister. "I know who he got that from."

"Watch it, Ronald," Ginny said simply, still smiling down at her son.

"So everything went alright then?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, I finally got the hang of changing nappies," Ron said proudly. "Oh, um…there-there is just one thing…See, there was sort of an incident with his toy broomstick-"

"We're so sorry," Hermione said quickly. "But, um, if you move his hair out of his face, you'll see where he had a bit of an accident. He ran into the table."

Ginny brushed James' hair away from his eyes, revealing a thin, faint scar above his left eye.

"Wow, now he looks even more like you," Ginny chuckled, looking over at Harry.

"He does," Harry grinned.

"We're really sorry," Hermione said weakly.

"It's alright, he's always bumping into things on that broom," Ginny sighed. "Last week he cut his lip when he crashed it into the coffee table. It wasn't supposed to be packed with his toys this weekend…"

"It's his favorite, I had to pack it," Harry defended. "But it in all honesty, he probably would've done the same thing if Ginny or I had been here as well. That kind of stuff just happens sometimes."

"You guys must've really worn him out," Ginny smiled as James let out a long yawn. "We should get him home and to bed, Harry."

"Right," Harry agreed. "We'll see you two tomorrow. Thanks again."

"Bye," Hermione smiled as the Potter family disapperated back to their own home.

"Well, I'm beat," Ron said, collapsing onto an armchair. "I know we have to still prepare and everything, but seriously, for the next three months we need to take advantage of having peace and quiet around the house before it's gone for good."

"Yes," Hermione agreed. "Don't think I'll mind too much once it's gone, though."

"Nah, either will I," Ron agreed, pulling Hermione down onto the seat with him. "But still…let's cherish it while it lasts."

….


	8. Chapter 8

"Such an exciting time!" Molly Weasley beamed as she piled more potatoes onto eleven-year old Teddy Lupin's plate. "Hogwarts! You must be so excited."

"He's been bouncing off the walls for weeks now, begging me to call Minerva and let him start early," Andromeda smiled, rustling her grandson's green hair affectionately.

"That will change," Ron smirked. "Once they start piling the homework on you, you'll be longing for summer, Ted."

"But my books seem interesting," Teddy said, cutting into the roast on his plate. "Especially my Transfiguration book."

"Well, you won't have much trouble once you get to human transfiguration," George pointed out.

"Yes, he's already a pro at that," Ginny agreed.

"I can't believe you guys won't let me go with Teddy," ten-year old Victoire, who was sitting next to the boy, pouted, looking across the table at Bill and Fleur.

"Vic, you know the rules, you go to Hogwarts when you're _eleven_ ," Bill said.

"Well what am I supposed to do here without Teddy?" Victoire huffed.

"Don't worry, Vic, I'll write you," Teddy said.

"Any idea what house you'll be in?" Victoire's nine-year old sister, Dominique, asked.

"He's gonna be in Gryffindor!" five-year old James Potter said at once. "That's the best house!"

"James, none of the houses are the best house," Harry told his son. "Each has its own strong qualities."

"Except Slytherin, right?" James said.

"No, even Slytherin," Harry said.

"Well what house do you want to be in, Teddy?" Vicotire asked.

"Harry said it doesn't matter," Teddy shrugged. "So I haven't thought about it. But I guess being in Gryffindor would be cool. My dad was in that house. But Ravenclaws are supposed to be the smart ones…"

"Well, Gryffindors can be smart too," Ron told him, casting an admiring smile to his wife.

"You'll make a fine addition to any house you're placed in, Teddy," Arthur said.

"Yes, Teddy," Hermione agreed. "And you'll have such a good time at Hogwarts, especially once you start your more complex classes, like Arithmancy and Ancient Runes."

"And Quidditch," Charlie added.

"You _have_ be on the Quidditch team," James said. " _I'm_ gonna be on the Quidditch team for Gryffindor when I finally get to go to Hogwarts. I'm gonna be a Seeker like you, dad!"

"Not a Chaser like your mum?" Ginny asked in mock offense.

"I'll be a Chaser like you, mummy," Albus said.

"Thank you, Al," Ginny chuckled.

"Of course I'm playing Quidditch," Teddy grinned. "The second I get sorted into a house, I'm going to find out when try-outs are. I don't care what position I play."  
"Teddy, you know first-years can't be on the house teams," Harry said.

"You were," Teddy smirked.

"Yes well, do us all a favor, and make your Hogwarts experience as different from mine as possible," Harry said.

"Grandmum, since we're all done with dinner now, is alright if we go play one last round of Quidditch before Teddy leaves for school tomorrow?" Victoire asked.

"Go ahead, dears," Molly smiled. "But remember, no more than ten feet off the ground! And look after the little ones!"

"I will," James said, jumping to his feet.

"Think you're still one of the little ones, Jamie," Harry told his son.

"No dad, I'm _five_ ," James said, rolling his eyes. "I'm not a little kid anymore."

"Ah, right," Harry chuckled. "My mistake."

"So, are you all going to see Teddy off tomorrow?" Hermione asked once the children had all left the kitchen.

"Yes," Ginny nodded. "Though I'm betting we'll have to keep a close eye on James to make sure he doesn't hop on the train himself."

"Wouldn't put it past him," Harry agreed.

"Alright, the kids are all gone," Ron said, turning to Harry. "So where do you think Teddy's actually going to be sorted? I know you must have some idea."

"I have a guess," Harry said simply, glancing over at Andromeda, who smiled back at him.

"He's quite clever," Hermione said. "I wouldn't be surprised if he was sorted into Ravenclaw."

"Could be," Harry shrugged. "We'll just have to wait and see."

….

"Lily, this is the fifth night in a row," Harry yawned, carrying his two-year old daughter down the stairs later that evening. "What is with you and getting up at three in the morning lately?"

"Pay, da-ee!" Lily said, lightly tugging on Harry's hair.

"Daddy's too tired to play," Harry muttered, yawning again as he turned on the kitchen light and sat Lily down in her high chair. "Let's hope some warm milk will get you back to sleep."

Suddenly, Harry heard the sound of the fireplace in the next room crackling. Pulling out his wand, Harry slowly stepped into the living room.

"Teddy?" Harry frowned, spotting the green-haired boy getting to his feet and wiping the ashes from his pajamas. "What are you doing up?"

"Did I wake you up?" Teddy asked.

"No, Lily did that," Harry said, putting his wand back in his pocket. "But again, why are you not in bed? At your grandmother's house?"

"I think I left my gobstones here," Teddy said.

"Gobstones?" Harry repeated. "Gobstones are what are so important that you woke up at three in the morning and Flooed over here?"

"Er, yes," Teddy said lamely.

Harry studied the boy for a moment. "Well, alright then. Have a look around, I'm sure they're down here somewhere. I'll be in the kitchen with Lily."

"Thanks, Harry," Teddy said, beginning to search the living room.

Harry returned to the kitchen and prepared Lily a bottle of warm milk. She had just started drinking when Teddy padded into the kitchen, carrying a small sack of gobstones.

"That was quick," Harry commented.

"They were on the bookshelf," Teddy replied, sitting down at the table.

"Teh-ee!" Lily beamed, reaching out towards her god-brother.

"Hi, Lil," Teddy smiled, changing his nose into a pig snout, causing the toddler to shriek in laughter.

"She's going to miss you like mad," Harry chuckled.

"I'll miss her too," Teddy said sadly.

"Well, while you're here, want some hot chocolate?" Harry asked.

"Yes!" Teddy said at once. "Thanks!"

"So," Harry said, preparing two mugs. "You've got your trunk all packed for tomorrow?"

"Uh-huh," Teddy nodded.

"And you have your ticket for the train?"

"Yes," Teddy replied.

"And your owl is ready is well?"

"Yes, Moony is all ready for Hogwarts," Teddy said.

"Good," Harry said, handing his godson a steaming mug of hot chocolate. He sat down next to him and smiled. "You know, night before my first day of Hogwarts, I couldn't sleep either; I was too excited."

"Were you nervous too?" Teddy asked slowly. "I'm not, but, um, just wondering."

"I suppose I was a little bit," Harry said. "Course the idea of leaving the Dursleys sort of outweighed everything."

"Were you-were you worried about where you'd be sorted?" Teddy asked, looking down at the table.

"Ah," Harry said. "So that's what this is about…"

"I know you said it doesn't matter, but it's got to matter a little bit, doesn't it?" Teddy blurted out.

"It matters as much as you think it matters," Harry said. "But I meant it when I told you that me and Ginny and your grandmother won't think any different of you based on which house you're sorted into."

"I know," Teddy said softly. "Harry? Do-Do you think my mum and dad would have cared which house I was in?"

"No," Harry said at once. "Absolutely not. Your mum and dad knew that the value of a person rested on far more than whether they're a Gryffindor, a Slytherin, a Hufflepuff, or a Ravenclaw."

Teddy gave a small smile, but he still looked nervous.

"The answer to your question is yes, though," Harry said. "I was nervous before I was sorted when I started Hogwarts."

"You were?" Teddy asked, looking up at Harry.

"I was," Harry nodded. "I was terrified of being sorted into Slytherin."

"But-But you said Slytherin isn't any worse than the other houses," Teddy frowned.  
"Yes, but well, back then I didn't have quite the same mindset," Harry replied. "I thought if I wound up in Slytherin, I was destined to be a Dark wizard, like Voldemort. And you know what? For a short while, during my Sorting, the hat…the hat was considering putting me in Slytherin."

"It _was_?" Teddy gasped.

"Thought I would do well there," Harry nodded.

"But-But it still put you in Gryffindor," Teddy said, confused.

"It did," Harry agreed. "But only because I asked it to put me anywhere _but_ Slytherin."

"And it listened?" Teddy said, surprised.

"The hat takes what you want into consideration," Harry smiled. "And if it really matters that much to you where you're sorted, it will listen to you as well."

Teddy said nothing as he pondered this information.

"But, remember, like I've been telling you, the hat can put you in any of the four houses," Harry said. "But it can't make do a thing about what happens next. There are plenty of times when the hat gets it perfectly right, but there are plenty of times he gets it wrong too. I knew a Slytherin who was one of the bravest men I ever met…And I knew a Gryffindor who was a coward and a traitor."

Harry looked over at Lily, who was now fast asleep in her highchair.

"Now then," Harry said, getting to his feet and lifting Lily into his arms. "I better put her back to bed. And _you_ better go back to your grandmum's and get some rest before she has my neck over letting you stay up this late."

"Alright," Teddy nodded, finishing up the last of his hot chocolate. "I'll see you tomorrow at the platform, Harry."

…..

"I'm telling you, Gin, if Lily wakes up in the middle of the night again tonight, you're dealing with her," Harry said, coming into the living room, where Ginny and the three Potter children, along with Ron, Hermione, Rose, and Hugo, were gathered. "Seven nights in a row she's woken up, ready to play."

"She always goes straight for you when she comes into our room," Ginny shrugged. "She's clearly a daddy's girl."

Just then, there was a loud pecking noise at the window, and everybody turned and saw Teddy's tawny owl, Moony, waiting on the ledge, with a letter attached to it's talon.

"Is that a letter from Teddy?" James exclaimed, looking up from the game of Exploding Snap he had been playing with Albus and Rose. "Read it dad! What house is he in? Is he on the Quidditch team yet? Did he get into any duels?"

"Calm down, James," Harry said, stepping across the room and letting the owl in. He took the letter and opened it up.

"Well?" Ron asked. "Where was he sorted?"

Harry didn't reply, but a smile appeared on his face as he read.

"Let me guess, you and Andromeda were right about your guess then?" Ginny said knowingly.

"We were," Harry said, folding up the letter. "We have a Hufflepuff in the family!"


	9. Chapter 9

Albus Severus Potter was the Potter child who looked most like Harry.

He was the only one who inherited his jet-black hair, he was the only one who needed glasses, and he was the only one who had his emerald green eyes.

Unfortunately for Albus, that seemed to be where the similarities ended.

Other than appearances, Albus really couldn't think of much else he had in common with his father.

James may not have been the spitting image of their father, but he was just like Harry in nearly every other way.

To start, James was in Gryffindor, while Albus was in Slytherin.

James was a superb Quidditch player, earning the Seeker spot on the Gryffindor team with no problem. Albus could barely hover six inches off the ground without falling off.

James was fearless. He wasn't afraid to stand up to anybody. Albus couldn't even bring himself to defend himself when two fifth-years charmed all of his quills to write in invisible ink.

And then there was Lily, who so strong in Defense Against the Dark Arts that all the professors at school were in complete awe. By the end of her second year, Lily had taught herself how to conjure a Patronus, something that Albus still couldn't manage when he entered his fifth year.

He knew his father loved him just as much as his siblings, but still, he wished he'd have some special connection with his father like Lily and James did.

…..

Albus sighed as he sat at the foot of the Forbidden Forest, watching a pack of nifflers play in a large patch of dirt. He had just left his Transfiguration O.W.L., and he knew for a fact that there was no way he had earned a high enough score to let him take N.E.W.T. classes next year, meaning he wouldn't be able to go on and become an Auror like his father.

 _That's no surprise, though_ , Albus thought miserably. _I'd be a terrible Auror anyway._

"Oi, what are you doing there, Albus?"

Albus turned around and saw Hagrid coming out of the other side of the forest.

"Oh, um, I just finished my Transfiguration exam," Albus replied. "Didn't go as well as I hoped."

"Ah, well, it's a tricky subject," Hagrid said understandably. "But, speaking of those ruddy exams, spoke ter' a couple of the examiners fer' Care of Magical Creatures. Yer examiner told me that you did brilliantly on the practical portion!"

Albus smiled. Care of Magical Creatures was easily his best subject, and so far had been the only exam he had left not feeling terrible.

"Going on to take N.E.W.T. level classes with me, I hope?" Hagrid continued.

"Course I am," Albus said at once. "It's not as though I'll have many other options, though. I bet I didn't pass any other exam…"

"Codswallop," Hagrid said. "All students think they fail their exams. Why, yer Aunt Hermione was convinced that she scored a 'T' on every single one, and she got top marks!"

"I _know_ there's no way I got the marks I would need to go on to become an Auror," Albus said heavily.

"I didn't know yeh wanted to be an Auror!" Hagrid beamed. "Jus' like yer dad, huh?"

"That was the plan," Albus mumbled. "But looks like that's not going to happen. Oh well, I'm sure _James_ will go to be a great Auror like dad."

Hagrid frowned. "Somethin' else bothering you, Al?"

"I'm nothing like him!" Albus blurted out. "James and Lily are so much like him, but it's as though I have nothing in common with him! I'm a Slytherin, I'm a terrible flyer. I'm rubbish with most wand work-"

To his surprise, Hagrid started to laugh.

"See? You know it's true," Albus said.

"Al," Hagrid said. " _You_ are most like yer father out of the three of yous."

"What? No I'm not," Albus frowned. "That'd probably be James. Though like I said, Lil's not far behind."

"James is far more like yer grandfather, to be completely honest," Hagrid chuckled. "Yer father was nowhere near as outgoing as James is. Didn't like too much attention drawn to himself; James loves being in the spotlight. Yer dad was more quiet, like you."

Albus frowned. "Really?"

"Really," Hagrid nodded. "Same with Lily. Don' get me wrong, all three of yers have bits of him. Nobody can deny that James is just like yer dad on a broomstick, or that Lily's Patronus could give Harry's a run fer his gold, but 'tween the two of us, yer the one that reminds me the most of him."

Albus could feel his face flushing red. "Thanks, Hagrid."


	10. Chapter 10

"Now I have seven of your Chocolate Frog cards," six-year old Hugo beamed as he set Ron's card up on his nightstand. "I have four of mummy's. But only two of Uncle Harry's."

"You know, I think these cards make my nose look bigger than it actually is," Ron frowned, studying the card.

"They make you look cool, dad," Hugo grinned.

"Thanks, Hugo," Ron grinned, rustling his son's hair. "Alright, you need to go to sleep. Remember…don't tell mummy I gave you chocolate right before bed."

"I won't," Hugo promised. "Night dad."

"Good night," Ron said, turning off the light and leaving the room. He turned and headed into the next room, where Rose was sitting on her bed, waiting for him to read to her, as he and Hermione did every night.

"You picked out your bedtime story, Rosie?" Ron asked.

"I picked one of mummy's books," Rose nodded. "Do you think she'll mind?"

"I think she'll be proud that you're already reaching for her books," Ron chuckled.

"When's she coming back home?" Rose asked.

"Day after next," Ron told her. "She has to help grandmum Granger for a few days, remember? She had that hip surge-y thing…"

"Surgery," Rose corrected. "It a muggle health procedure where doctors open up the body and fix all sorts of illnesses."

"I'll take your word for it," Ron said, sitting down next to her. "So, which book did you pick?"

"This one!" Rose said, lifting up a very heavy book and dropping it right in Ron's lap, causing him to grunt.

" _Hogwarts: A History_?" Ron frowned. "Oh Rosie, you couldn't have picked another book?"

"I'll be going to Hogwarts in less than three years," Rose said seriously. "I need to start preparing, daddy."

"You," Ron sighed. "Are definitely your mother's daughter. Alright, Rose, I suppose we can read the first chapter tonight."

"Two chapters," Rose insisted.

"Fine," Ron sighed. "Two chapters…reckon that will be about a hundred pages though."

"I don't mind," Rose smiled.

"I know _you_ don't," Ron smirked, opening up the book. "Alright, chapter one: Beginning Envisions…"

….

"Hi there," Ron smiled a couple of nights later as Hermione apperated into the middle of their living room. He tossed aside the paper he had been reading and rushed over to his wife, wrapping his arms around her and pressing his lips to hers.

"Hi yourself," Hermione grinned, kissing him back. "I've missed you."

"Bet you have," Ron replied. "How's your mum doing?"

"Much better, the surgery went great," Hermione told him.

"Still can't believe she let people take knifes and cut into her body," Ron shivered.

"Ron, it's a perfectly safe procedure," Hermione said, rolling her eyes. "Anyway, I'm assuming Rose and Hugo are asleep?"

"Yeah," Ron nodded. "They were planning on staying up to wait for you, but they both crashed around ten."

"How sweet," Hermione chuckled. "Did everything go alright here while I was gone?"

"Course," Ron said. "Hugo spent most of his time over at Harry's, playing with this new muggle toy they got. It's some controller thing that they hook up to the T.V. box and a whole bunch of games appear."

"Oh, video games," Hermione said. "Yes, I'm sure Hugo loved those. What about Rose? She didn't want to play?"

"She said she didn't get the concept," Ron smirked. "She decided to start combing through your bookshelf instead."

"She read my books?" Hermione said, impressed. "That's wonderful! Which book did she read?"

"The biggest one she could find," Ron said. " _Hogwarts: A History_. Said she needs to start _preparing_. Hope you're happy with yourself, Herm. You've gone and turned our daughter into an even bigger bookworm than you."

"Well did she like it?" Hermione asked, ignoring his comment.

"She finished it off in two days," Ron told her. "Shattered your record. And you'll be proud of me, Hermione."

"Why?" Hermione asked.

"Well who do you think read Rose the book?" Ron asked.

"She read it herself, didn't she?"

"Well, yeah, most of it," Ron admitted. "But she _insisted_ that I read to her at bedtime. So I can now officially say I've finally read six chapters of that bloody book. And I have to say…wasn't nearly as dull as I thought."

"You read it?" Hermione beamed, her face lighting up. "Oh Ron!"

"Maybe I'll even get around to finishing it one of these days," Ron continued.

"So you're telling me," Hermione said, still smiling. "That all these years of begging you to pick up that book were useless, but our daughter managed to get you to read it just by asking once?"

"She knows how to ware me down," Ron shrugged. "She knows I'll never deny her a bedtime story. Even if she picks a book that's bigger than she is."

"So what was your favorite part?" Hermione asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, I suppose the stuff about the Fat Lady was pretty interesting," Ron said. "Always thought she was just some random woman that somebody painted and put up at the entrance of the Gryffindor common room. Didn't know that she was actually in the first class of Gryffindors! And-"

He was cut off as Hermione threw her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply.

"You," she said breathlessly as they pulled apart. "Have never been more attractive to me."


	11. Chapter 11

At one point in their lives, all three of Harry's children had a desire to follow in his footsteps and become an Auror.

James, who absolutely idolized his father in every way, had said from the age of three that he wanted to grow up and catch bad wizards when he was older. As he went through Hogwarts, Harry could tell he would do well as an Auror. He had a natural talent in Defense Against the Dark Arts, and even though he preferred to slack off in his other classes, he was definitely a very skilled wizard. He went into all of the required N.E.W.T. classes and was all set to enroll in the Auror training program once he finished his final year at Hogwarts. However, towards the end of his seventh year, James began getting offers from several professional Quidditch leagues to come and play as a Seeker. It had been one of the most difficult decisions James had ever had to make, but in the end he realized his true passion. Instead of following in his father's footsteps, he went on to follow in his mother's, but Harry still couldn't have been prouder of his eldest child.

Albus, like his brother, had said from an early age that he wanted to be just like Harry and be an Auror when he grew up. Harry of course encouraged this dream, but he could tell by the time Albus finished his first year at Hogwarts that his youngest son would not be happy going down such a career path. Being the quietest and calmest of all the Potters, Albus had never been drawn to dueling of any sort. He didn't have a natural ability for wand work, always preferring subjects like Care of Magical Creatures and Herbology. Albus came to the realization that being an Auror wouldn't suit him after he finished his fifth year. He discovered that he was particularly drawn to working with creatures. Once he left Hogwarts, he worked hard and eventually set up the first fully-equipped clinic for magical creatures, and Harry couldn't have been more pleased that his son had found something he truly loved to do.

Lily, unlike her brothers, didn't express any interest in being an Auror when she was younger. She wanted nothing to do with the profession, for all she knew was that she hated it when her father left to go on missions, meaning that she sometimes had to go days, even weeks, without seeing him. As she got older, though, she slowly began to understand why her father did what he did. She heard countless stories of the war, and all those who had fought against the Dark Arts. She wanted to be sure that that the Wizarding World was never put in the same situation it was years ago.

To say that Lily excelled in Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts would be an understatement. By her second year, she could produces spells that even fifth-years struggled with. Harry was beyond impressed when McGonagall sent him an owl her second year saying she was able to produce a fully-effective Patronus. The second her seventh-year ended, Lily enrolled in the Auror training program. As the Head Auror, Harry was involved heavily in the training process, and would sometimes have to step back and marvel at how strong of a witch his little girl had become. Lily had been determined to prove to everybody that she did not get into the program because of her father, and pushed herself to graduate with top marks.

When Lily officially became an Auror, Harry was swelling with pride.

But he was also terrified.

…

"-this is an extremely dangerous gang of wizards," Harry said loudly, as he stood in front of his Aurors. "They are fighting in the name of blood purity, and they've already killed three innocent people. There are two dozen of them, and they are all extremely skilled wizards. They tend to fire killing cures from long-range, so it is imperative that we all stay alert. The aim is to bring in as many as we can alive so we can extract information about possible brother gangs, however if you are put in the situation, you do what you need to do to defend yourself. Now, these are the Aurors who will be leaving on the mission this evening. We leave at six sharp, so you'll have four hours to prepare your go-bags and spend a bit of time with your families."

He pointed his wand at a blank chalkboard and twenty names appeared. "The rest of you…please finish all of the paperwork from the McDeeree case. That's everything, thank you!"

Harry watched as the Aurors filed out of his office…except for one.

"Lil Bud, you need something?" Harry asked, beginning to stuff papers into his desk drawer.

"You promised to stop calling me that at work!" Lily hissed.

"Sorry, habit," Harry said quickly. "What can I do for you Ms. Potter? Better?"

"Why am I not on that list?" Lily demanded, nodding at the list of names on the board. "I should be going on this mission."

"Lily, bringing too many Aurors can pose problems," Harry said. "I need to keep our numbers down as much as possible. Besides, I thought you didn't want any special treatment just because you're my daughter. You're fresh out of training; you're not going to be put out on the field just yet."

"I've been out of training for six-months!" Lily exclaimed. "I was the top of the program! And everybody else who graduated with me has gone out on the field; I'm the only one who hasn't, and I _know_ you're doing that on purpose."

"That is not-"

"It _is_ true," Lily snapped. "I _deserve_ to go out on this mission, and you know it."

"Lily, this mission is extremely dangerous," Harry said firmly. "These wizards are some of the worst we've seen in years."

"Wait, you mean being an Auror involves chasing down dangerous wizards?" Lily gasped in mock surprise. "Well, you think they would've mentioned that somewhere in the training."

Harry rolled his eyes.

"I know what I signed up for," Lily said, crossing her arms across the chest.

"Lily…you could get hurt," Harry said weakly.

"I'm an Auror," Lily said. "And I want to fight. I'm _going_ to fight. You can't keep doing this!"

"Look, you can maybe go out on the next mission," Harry said. "But not this one. You-You're not ready."

"I'm ready," Lily said. " _You're_ the one who's not ready for me to go out there."

And with that she spun on her heel and stormed out of the office.

Harry sighed and sank down into his chair.

There was a short knock on his door, and he looked up to see Ginny standing in his doorway.

"Hi," she said, walking in. "I know you're going to be busy preparing for this mission, so I thought I'd come in and say goodbye to you now."

She leaned down and kissed him. "Be careful, love."

"I will," Harry promised. "You just missed Lily, by the way. She's bloody furious with me at the moment."

"How come?" Ginny frowned.

"She wants to come on the mission," Harry muttered. "She's accusing me of purposefully keeping her out of the field."

Ginny gave him a small smile. "She's been here six months and has done nothing but paperwork. That's unheard of, isn't it?"

"Gin…I know I'm being overprotective of her, but I don't care," Harry said. "If-If something were to happen to her while she was on a mission…I'd never forgive myself."

Ginny sat down on the corner of his desk.

"If she were to out on a mission, I'd be terrified too," she said. "Just as terrified as I am every single time that you go on one. But Harry…she's not a little girl anymore. She's a fully-trained Auror. _You_ trained her."

"She's an amazing witch, Ginny, I know that," Harry said. "But…why does she _insist_ on being on the front line of such dangerous missions?"

"Because she's your daughter," Ginny said simply.

Harry didn't reply.

"I'm scared too," Ginny whispered. "But…this is what she wants to do with her life. We have to support her."

Harry sighed. "I suppose we do."

….

Harry walked into the Auror lounge a few hours later, where all of his Aurors were gathered. Harry spotted Lily sitting at a nearby table, still looking angry.

"I need your attention!" Harry said loudly.

The light chatter that had filled the room died down at once, and everybody turned to face Harry.

"We're still scheduled to leave in one hour," Harry said. "Is everybody who is going on the mission ready?"

The were murmurs of confirmation.

"Brilliant," Harry said. "One thing though…Morrison? An owl just came in for you from St. Mungo's. Your wife just went into labor."

Morrison, a young Auror with dark hair, looked up. "She-She did?"

"You're off the mission," Harry said firmly. "Go ahead off and be with her."

"Thank you," Morrison said, hurrying out of the room. "Good luck on the mission, everyone."

"This means we're now one Auror short," Harry said. "I'm going to need a replacement for Morrison. Ms. Potter?"

Lily's head shot up. "Yes?"

"Would you be ready to leave for the mission in one hour?"

Lily's jaw dropped. "Y-Yeah. Of course."  
"Good," Harry nodded. "Then you'll take Morrison's spot."

"Okay," Lily said, jumping up. "I'll go get ready."

Harry could tell she was trying to contain her excitement. As she passed him, Lily paused.

"Thanks," she whispered.

"You earned it," Harry whispered back. "You'll do great out there, Lil."


	12. Chapter 12

"Dad?" Albus said, poking his head into his father's study. "Are you busy?"

"No," Harry said, looking up from the paper he had been scanning. "What is it, Al?"

"Um, thought you'd like to know that, um, my O. just came," Albus said nervously, stepping all the way into the study.

"Did they?" Harry said as Albus handed him and already opened envelope. "That was rather quick. They normally don't come until the end of July, do they? How were your scores?"

"Um…about as I expected," Albus sighed.

Harry unfolded the sheet of parchment. "Let's see…Defense Against the Dark Arts…Acceptable. Charms…Acceptable. Transfiguration…Acceptable. Astronomy… Exceeds Expectations. Herbology…Exceeds Expectations. Potions…Dreadful. Anceint Runes…Exceeds Expectations. History of Magic…Outstanding. Care of Magical Creatures….Outstanding. Well Al, these are pretty good. And two Outstandings!"

"Pretty good?" Albus sputtered. "Dad, they're awful grades!"

"Well, I suppose potions could've been better," Harry agreed. "But I was quite rubbish at potions myself. Wouldn't have made it through without your Aunt Hermione helping me in class."

"But my other scores as well," Albus continued. "Charms, Transfiguration, Defense Against the Dark Arts…I needed at least 'E''s to get into the N.E.W.T. level classes I would need for Auror training. Without those classes I can't be an Auror."

Harry set down the parchment. "Albus…I'll let you in on a secret. The department doesn't put as much weight on those requirements as you might think. They're more interested in seeing how you do on their own practical examination. If you do well on that, even if you didn't have all the right classes, you can still become an Auror."

"Oh…" Albus said slowly. "Well…that's good then."

"Albus," Harry said slowly. "If you want to become an Auror…that's brilliant. I'd be very proud to see how you do in the department, and I'm sure you'll become one of the best. But, I want you to tell me the truth…is that what you really want to do?"

Albus looked down at his feet.

"You know Al, it doesn't matter to me one bit what you do once you leave Hogwarts," Harry said gently. "Only thing that matters to me is that you're happy in whatever direction you decide to go."

"But you were so proud when Teddy became an Auror like you," Albus pointed out. "And James is sure to become one too."

"Of course I was proud of Teddy," Harry smiled. "He worked really hard to become an Auror. And I'll be proud of James if you becomes on as well. If he decides to do something else, though, I'll be just as proud. And I'll be proud of _you_ whether you become an Auror or not."

"You will?" Albus asked softly.

"You're my son," Harry smiled. "I'll always be proud of you. You know, I was talking to Hagrid not too long ago…he mentioned that you were really showing potential working with magical creatures."

"I love it," Albus said at once. "Hagrid's class is my favorite, and it's not just because it's Hagrid teaching. Dad…do you think maybe I could do something with magical creatures once I leave Hogwarts?"

"Course you could," Harry grinned. "In fact, if I were you, I'd write to your Uncle Charlie. His dragon ranch is always looking for extra hands over the summers. Maybe he could arrange for you to get a little experience there."

"That'd be great!" Albus said excitedly. "Think mum would be okay with me working with dragons, though?"

"Er, that might take some convincing," Harry admitted. "But I'm sure she'll let you go. Albus, there is one thing I need to ask you, though."

"What?" Albus asked.

"How," Harry said. "In the bloody hell, did you manage an 'O' in History of Magic?"


	13. Chapter 13

"I really don't think I'm allowed to be doing this," Harry said as he apperated into Ron and Hermione's living room, where Hermione was sitting on her sofa. "You're on maternity leave…I doubt you should be doing work."

"It's just some paperwork," Hermione said as Harry handed her a stack of folders. "If I don't keep up with it while I'm out, it's just going to pile up for me when I get back."

"I suppose," Harry said. "Where's Ron?"

"I sent him out to get me some snacks," Hermione said, opening up the top folder.

"Oh, thanks for the reminder," Harry said. "I'm supposed to do that for Ginny. Think I'm supposed to pick up more nappies for James as well."

"Here, take these for him," Hermione said, pointing her wand at a package across the room, sending it flying towards Harry. "We bought a bunch of diapers the other day for Rose, but we got a package of the wrong size by mistake. They'll be far too big for her, but they're James' size."

"I owe you one," Harry said gratefully.

Suddenly, there was a loud popping sound, and Ron appeared in the living room, carrying a large paper bag.

"Think I finally got the hang of muggle money," he said proudly, sitting down next to his pregnant wife.

"You went to the muggle grocery?" Harry asked. "Why?"

"Because this one craves only muggle snacks at the moment," Ron said, rolling his eyes as he handed the bag to Hermione. "Don't know why…"

"Because, some of these are really quite good," Hermione said as she began to riffle through the bag. "Oh…Ron, did-didn't you use the list I gave you?"

"Yeah, I did," Ron said, pulling out a slip of paper from his pocket. "And I got everything you wrote down."

"No, you, um, you didn't," Hermione said. "You got the wrong flavor of crisps, and these chocolates have nuts in them…I don't like nuts, remember?"

"Well those packages are so hard to decipher!" Ron defended. "And don't even get me started on the way they have the store arranged."

"You'll just have to go back," Hermione said, handing him the list.

"Again? Hermione I just came home!" Ron said. "If I didn't get it right the first time, what makes you think I'll get it right the second time?"

"Fine," Hermione said simply. "I'll just sit here, hungry, as I grow _your_ child-"

"You can't keep pulling that card, Hermione!"

"Oh for Merlin's sake, don't argue with her," Harry said to Ron. "Are you mad?"

"So you're telling me you just give in to Ginny's every demand?" Ron scoffed.

"When she's pregnant, absolutely," Harry nodded.

"Thank you, Harry," Hermione said.

"Give me the list," Harry said to Ron. Ron handed him the paper and Harry quickly scanned it over. "Alright, I can go get this stuff."

"Brilliant!" Ron said cheerfully. "Problem solved."

"You have to go to Honeydukes for me, though," Harry told him, pulling a list of his own and handing it to Ron. "Pick up all that for Ginny."

"Bloody hell, that's a lot," Ron said. "Women sure eat a ton when they're pregnant."

Hermione glared at him.

"You have a death wish, don't you," Harry said, shaking his head as he quickly headed out before another fight began.

…..


	14. Chapter 14

"How many books did you buy?" Ron asked as he watched Hermione open her beaded back and skillfully slide a large stack of books inside.

"Just a few," Hermione said. "Rose has been really interested in Runes lately, so I picked her up some beginner translation books. And Hugo's been into all of the new plants Neville has been bringing by, so I thought he might like some Herbology books to look through."

"She's not going to be happy until our children have read the entire inventory of Flourish and Blotts," Ron muttered to Harry.

"Now then," Hermione said, closing her bag. "Where did Lily and Hugo get off to?"

"They're up there," Harry said, pointing to the two six-year olds, who were looking into a nearby store window.

"Well we need to head back to the Burrow, soon," Hermione said, looking at her watch. "Molly said dinner would be ready by seven."

"Hopefully the older kids will be done with their Quidditch match by then," Ron said as the three walked towards the children. "So Lil and Hugo won't be upset about not being able to join in yet. Smart idea taking them out shopping, Hermione, though I reckon you just wanted an excuse to buy more books."

"Oh hush," Hermione said, rolling her eyes as they reached the children, who were peering into Magical Menagerie. "Alright, you two, are you ready to go back to the Burrow? Grandmum is probably waiting on us to serve dinner."

"Look at all the animals, mum," Hugo said, pointing to the various breeds of owls, cats, dogs, and amphibians roaming around the store.

"Yes, I see,' Hermione smiled. "You know, this is the store where I bought Crookshanks. Do you remember that, Ron?"

"Thing jumped on my face, that's rather hard to forget," Ron muttered darkly.

"Daddy, look at all the dogs!" Lily said, turning to her father. "Aren't they cute?"

"Very cute, Lily," Harry chuckled.

"I like that puppy right there," Lily said, pointing to a large, black dog who was pawing at her through the window. "And he likes me too."

"Does he now?" Harry asked, amused.

"Yes, I think so," Lily nodded seriously. "But I think all of the other dogs have been mean to him. Look at his ears; they're all scratched up."

"She's right," Ron commented, looking at the dog, who indeed had several healed scars along his ears and snout."

"Poor thing," Hermione sighed. "You know, this store really should have better conditions for these animals. I reckon if I go into the office tomorrow, I can start the process to have a piece of legislation passed that would improve the living standards at stores like this."

"Course you could," Ron said, smiling fondly at his wife.

"Daddy," Lily said. "How come the other dogs were mean to him?"

"Oh, I-I don't know, Lils," Harry frowned. "Maybe the dogs were just playing around and things got out of hand."

"No, because none of the other dogs have any marks on them," Lily said shrewdly, looking around the pet store.

"Smart kid," Ron said. "Wonder where she gets that from…"

"Oh, well, then I don't know what happened to him, Lily," Harry said, choosing to ignore Ron's comment. "But come on, we need to get going back to the Burrow."

"No!" Lily said. "Daddy, we can't leave Muffin here! He could get hurt even worse!"

"Muffin?" Harry repeated.

"That's his name," Lily nodded. "Because his fur is the same color as the chocolate muffins that grandmum makes that I love so much."

"She named it?" Ron said. "Uh-oh…"

"Lily, I know you're upset about the dog-"

"Muffin," Lily corrected her father.

"Er, sorry, _Muffin_ ," Harry said. "But there's nothing we can do right now."

"Yes there is," Lily said. "We can take Muffin home with us!"

"Oh, um, we-we can't do that," Harry said quickly.

"Why not?" Lily asked innocently.

"Because, you-your mum would just about kill me if I let you come home with a dog," Harry said. "Especially one that big."

"But daddy, he's hurt!" Lily said. "He needs someone to take care of him! Please, daddy?"

"Lily," Harry sighed. "I'm sorry, but the answer is no. I'm not getting you a dog."

Lily looked down at her feet and let out a soft sigh. "Okay, daddy…Can I say goodbye to Muffin, though?"

"Er, sure," Harry nodded.

Lily turned back to the window, where Muffin the dog was still pawing sadly at her.

"I'm sorry, Muffin, but my daddy says you can't come home with me," Lily said in a shaky voice. "I wish you could, though, because I would love you so much and we'd be best friends."

"I thought I was your best friend," Hugo frowned.

"You're my best _human_ friend," Lily said. "But I can have best friends who aren't human too. Everybody needs best friends, even animals."

"She's really trying to break you, isn't she?" Ron whispered to Harry. "That's probably the sweetest thing I've ever heard."

Harry sighed. "She's as crafty as her mother…"

"Anyway," Lily said, turning back to Muffin. "I have to go now, but I hope even though I have to leave you behind, you'll always remember me. I'll always remember you, Muffin."

Harry ran his fingers through his hair, watching a single tear fall from his daughter's eye as she blew a kiss to the dog through the glass.

"Alright, daddy," Lily sniffed, turning towards him. "I suppose we should go now. I don't want to make this harder on Muffin than it has to be."

"Um, alright, er, Lily, look," Harry said. "I-I suppose if you promise to look after Muffin and take good care of him…we-we can buy him."

"Really?" Lily gasped, her eyes widening. "We can?"

"Yes," Harry nodded weakly. "We can."

"Thank you, daddy!" Lily beamed, throwing her arms around her father. "You're the best! Hugo, come on! Let's go inside and tell Muffin the good news in person!"

"Harry..." Hermione said as the children raced into the store. "You do realize Ginny's going to be furious with you."

"Well what was he supposed to do? You heard that performance," Ron snickered. "Bloke took down the Darkest wizard in history but crumples in the face of a six-year old."

"Oh like you're any better with Rose," Hermione said, shaking her head. "She has you wrapped around her finger just like Lily does with Harry."

"Hey, Lily does not have me wrapped around her finger," Harry defended.

"She just charmed a dog out of you," Hermione said, amused.

Harry opened his mouth to reply, but found that he had no response.


	15. Chapter 15

"I've already drawn up my study schedules for the break," Rose said as her, Hugo, Ron and Hermione walked into their home. "I think I need the most work in Arithmancy, so I've scheduled two hours a day devoted to just that."

"You've gotten top marks on all your past Arithmancy exams," Ron frowned, setting down Rose and Hugo's trunks.

"Yes, but the O.W.L. exam is bound to be far more difficult than one of Professor Vector's exams," Rose told her father.

"Come on, Rosie, you're not going to study the whole Christmas holiday, are you?" Ron asked.

"I have to!"

"Rose, you're father's right," Hermione said. "It's important to take your studies seriously, but you mustn't burn yourself out either."

"Fine," Rose sighed. "Well, if you're going to insist on me having fun, can I go over to Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny's? I promised Lily she could practice take shots on goal with me as Keeper."

"Go ahead," Ron said. "Might as well just stay there until it's time to go to the Burrow for dinner."

"Alright," Rose said. "I'll see you later!"

"I'm hungry," Hugo announced as his sister left.

Hermione chuckled. "Didn't you eat enough sweets on the train?"

"That was hours ago, mum," Hugo pointed out.

"I'll make you a sandwich," Ron said as the three went into the kitchen.

"So," Hermione said, sitting down at the table with her son. "How has term been, Hugo? Are you enjoying your new classes?"

"Oh yeah, Care of Magical Creatures is great," Hugo nodded. "Hagrid's a brilliant professor. Some of the other classes are getting a bit harder, but I guess they're still alright. The best class is definitely Divination, though!"

Ron snorted, nearly dropping Hugo's sandwich as he brought it down to the table.

"Divination?" Hermione repeated.

"Uh-huh," Hugo nodded eagerly. "I think I made my first prediction last week!"

"Did you now?" Ron asked, beaming as he glanced at his wife. "What was it, Hugo?"

"Well, we were doing tea leaves, and I was partnered with Lil," Hugo said. "And I said her tea leaves looked like they were in the form of a wave, which of course means that she was about to have an unexpected event happen to her."

"Course," Ron nodded.

"And right after we left class, she got news that an extra Quidditch practice had been scheduled!" Hugo said proudly. "She says it was just a coincidence, but I think I really have something here."

"Sounds like it's your favorite class," Ron commented.

"Oh by far," Hugo nodded.

"Isn't that wonderful, Hermione?" Ron grinned. "Maybe we'll have a Seer in the family."

Hermione glared at him. "I-I'm glad you're enjoying the class, Hugo."

"Good sandwich, dad," Hugo said. "Alright, I need to get my Chocolate Frog cards in order. I have some serious trading to do with Roxanne and Albus tonight at Grandmum's."

Once Hugo left the kitchen, Ron turned to Hermione. "Kills you, doesn't it?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Hermione said simply.

"You hate the fact that Hugo's into Divination," Ron smirked. "The one subject you failed."

"I did not _fail_ Divination," Hermione snapped. "I _dropped_ Divination."

"Because you were bad at it," Ron said.

"No," Hermione said, narrowing her eyes. "Because I didn't see the appeal of such a subject."

"Right," Ron chuckled.

"Besides, I'm sure Hugo will see soon enough that Divination is a wooly subject," Hermione said.

"What if he doesn't?" Ron asked.

"He will," Hermione said firmly.

"I can't wait to tell Harry about this," Ron said, beaming.

…

"Favorite subject? Really?" Harry grinned later that evening, as him, Ron, and Hermione sat out in the yard of the Burrow, watching the children play Quidditch.

"It's driving Hermione nuts," Ron nodded.

"No, it is not," Hermione said, shaking her head.

"Still say that was your finest moment," Ron sighed. "When you stormed out of Trelawny's class our third-year."

"I didn't _storm_ out!"

Ron and Harry exchanged glances before bursting out laughing again.

"You two are both _children_ ," Hermione sighed, rolling her eyes.

….

Later that evening, Hermione was walking down the hall towards her and Ron's bedroom. She was surprised to see the light still glowing from under the door of Hugo's bedroom.

"Hugo?" Hermione said, opening the door. "It's after midnight. You should be asleep. Remember, we're leaving early tomorrow morning to go see grandmum and grandpa Granger."

"Sorry," Hugo said. "Lost track of time."

"Hold on," Hermione said. "Were you reading?"

Unlike Rose, who couldn't keep her nose out of a book, Hugo tended to be more like Ron when it came to reading.

"Yeah, I was looking ahead to see what we're working on when we go back to Divination," Hugo nodded. "We'll be doing palm reading!"

Hermione gave a small smile. "You really _do_ love Divination, don't you?"

Hugo nodded. "It's so interesting."

Hermione thought for a moment. "Well…since you're up to begin with…would you like some practice with palm reading?"

"What do you mean?" Hugo asked.

"I never got the hang of this," Hermione said, sitting down next to her son and holding out her own palm. "Think you could read my palm?"

Hugo grinned. "Yes!"

He began tracing the lines of Hermione's palm with his own fingers.

"Hmm…your life long is pretty long," Hugo said. "That's good. These lines here mean…ah! That you have a lot of wisdom. Well that's true, mum!"

"You're very good at this, Hugo," Hermione smiled.

"Think I could be a Seer one day?" Hugo asked. "A real one? I know a lot of people say you have to be born one, but maybe if I train really hard I can learn enough."

"Well Hugo," Hermione said. "If you're willing to put in the work, I don't see any reason at all why you couldn't become one of the best Seers there ever were."


	16. Chapter 16

Fred looked around him, seeing nothing but white as far as he could see.

"Hello?" he called out, pulling himself to his feet.

He knew he was dead. He knew that last curse had killed him. But he was still confused, and for once in his life, he didn't feel confident and sure of himself. He didn't feel brave.

He felt scared.

He didn't want to be dead, after all, and at once images of those he left behind came flooding into his mind.

 _Dad, Ginny, Ron…Mum…George_ …Fred though shakily as he continued to look desperately around. _George…_

Fred fell back down onto his knees, his eyes shining with tears as the realization that he could not go back suddenly hit him. He'd never see George again, or anybody for that matter. His body began to shake as he sobbed harder than he ever had before, feeling completely alone and vulnerable.

Suddenly, he felt a warm pair of arms wrap around him, instantly reminding him of his mother's embrace. He felt a sense of comfort, and he looked up and saw a young woman with dark, red hair and bright emerald eyes.

"It's alright," the woman said soothingly, giving him a reassuring smile. "It's always scary at first."

"Who-Who are you?" Fred asked. He looked back into her eyes…her strangely familiar eyes. "You're Harry's mum."

She smiled as she nodded. "Yes. Fred, you were so brave. You died a hero."

Fred said nothing, but he felt himself slowly begin to feel less anxious.

"I know you miss them," Lily continued. "I know you want to go back."

"Can I?" Fred asked. "Go back?"

"In a way," Lily said slowly. "Your spirit can go back if you want it to."

"You mean like a ghost?" Fred said. "I-I'd be one of the Hogwarts ghosts?"

"Yes," Lily said. "Or you can choose to go on."

"Go on?" Fred repeated.

"This isn't it," Lily told him. "There's more…far more waiting for you. If you choose to move on, I can take you there."

Fred thought for a moment. "If I'm a ghost, I can see George again," he said slowly.

"You could," Lily nodded.

Fred pondered this. "I'd still be dead though," he said. "And George would be alive. It-It wouldn't be the same, would it?"

Lily gave him a solemn smile. "No, I'm afraid not."

Fred looked away sadly. "He wouldn't do any of the stuff he's supposed to," he said firmly. "I know that thick git…He'd try to just stay at Hogwarts so we could be together. He wouldn't carry on with the shop or find a nice witch or-or keep tormenting Percy properly. I wouldn't, if it were me."

"You'll get to see him, still," a deeper voice said.

Fred turned around and saw three men standing behind him.

"Lupin…Sirius…" he said, quickly recognizing them. "And-And you are…Harry's dad."

"May know him better as Prongs," Sirius grinned. He turned to James. "Gave us a run for our pranking title, him and his brother did."

"Don't think I know that?" James smirked. "They were far more sophisticated than we were."

"Smarter, too," Lupin nodded.

"You're the Marurders," Fred said slowly.

"Well, three out of the four, yes," Sirius nodded. "Fair to say that we've given a certain member the boot."

"Yes," James nodded. He stepped closer to Fred and kneeled down next to Lily.

"Fred, I know that it's hard to leave those you care about behind…to know that they're going to go on without you. That they're going to hurt because you're gone."

He turned and glanced back at Sirius and Lupin, showing a faint smile.

"It's for the best, though," Lupin told him. "For the living cannot live if they are dwelling on the dead."

"That's right," Sirius said heavily.

Fred said nothing.

"He'll be alright," Lily said gently. "All of them will be."

Fred closed his eyes tightly, trying to keep more tears from welling out.

"Okay," he finally said, pulling himself up. He turned to James. "You said I can still watch over them?"

"Anytime you like," James nodded.

Lily wrapped an arm around him again, and they all began to walk into the distance.


	17. Chapter 17

"James, come on, you've got to go down for bed," Harry sighed, bouncing the crying baby in his arms. "Don't know how you've still got any energy left in you…"

"Have you checked to see if he needs changed?" Ginny asked, walking into the room.

"Yes, and that's not it," Harry told her, yawning. "I think he's just being stubborn."

"Do you want me to take him?" Ginny asked. "You've got to be up for work tomorrow."

"No, it's alright," Harry said. "You go ahead off to bed."

Ginny smiled, resting a hand on her abdomen. "What are we going to do in four months when there are two of them?"

"Oh, we'll be going completely mad," Harry smirked.

"Yes, I suppose we will," Ginny said, giving him a quick kiss on the lips. She kissed James' head as well. "Jamie, please go to sleep."

James simply continued to fuss.

"Maybe I'll try warm milk," Harry said. "That ought to work."

"Good luck," Ginny yawned.

Harry carried the screaming child down to the kitchen and quickly warmed up a bottle of milk. He carefully placed the tip of the bottle at James' lips. The infant hesitantly opened his mouth and began sucking. Harry was pleased to see that his son's eyelids appeared to be growing heavier and heavier with each sip. Sure enough, by the time the bottle was gone, James was fast asleep in Harry's arm.

"I'll have to remember that," Harry whispered to himself. He carried James up to his nursery and laid him down in his cot. "Night, James."

Harry quietly shut the door of the nursery behind him. He was just about to go into his and Ginny's room, when the door next to James' opened and six-year old Teddy Lupin poked his head out. "Is James done crying?"

Harry chuckled. "Hope so. Did he wake you up?"

Teddy nodded. "Sort of. Can you come look at pictures with me?"

"Sure," Harry said, fighting back another yawn. "Only for a little bit, though. Then you need to go to sleep."

"Alright," Teddy agreed as Harry followed him back into his room.

Teddy was quite the artist, and could entertain himself for hours on end by simply drawing pictures at the kitchen table.

"I made this one of you and Ginny," Teddy said, handing Harry a piece of paper with two figures, one with long, red hair, and another with glasses and messy black hair, on it.

"Very impressive," Harry smiled. "Like what you've done with my nose."

"This one is of James," Teddy continued, handing Harry a picture of a smaller figure, with its mouth open in a scream. "He's crying in the picture because he cries a lot in real life."

"How accurate," Harry nodded. "I'll have to hang this up in James' nursery."

"And this is what I think the new baby will look like," Teddy said, handing Harry a third sheet of paper. "I think it's going to be a girl."

"So does Ginny," Harry grinned.

"Do you?"

"No clue," Harry said. "I won't mind either way, though."

"When does the new baby get here?" Teddy asked.

"Round the middle of June," Harry replied.

"Oh," Teddy nodded. "Hey, Harry? You're going to be the new baby's dad, right?"

"Um, yes," Harry nodded.

"Just like your James' dad?"

"Er, yes, that-that's it works," Harry replied.

"Well," Teddy said. "Then how come you can't be _my_ dad too?"

Harry blinked. "Well-Well Teddy-"

"'cause it isn't fair," Teddy mumbled, and Harry saw tears beginning to form in the corner of his eyes. "James gets a dad, the new baby gets a dad. Baby Rosie gets a dad, and so do Victoire and Dominique, Louis and Fred. _Everyone_ gets a dad except for me, so how come you can't be mine too?"

"Teddy," Harry said softly. "I-I know how you feel. It's hard, seeing everybody with their parents when you've never even gotten to know yours."

"I don't even remember them," Teddy said. "Everything I know about them is from what other people tell me."

"I know," Harry said, putting his arm around him. "But Teddy, you know that your parents didn't leave you because they didn't want to be your mother and father. Believe me, leaving you with your grandmum to go and fight at Hogwarts was the hardest thing they had to do. And just because they're gone now, doesn't mean they're still not your mother and father. They'll always be your mother and father, they're just not here."

"Well I wish they were," Teddy huffed. "Like you! Come on, Harry, please be my dad."

"Teddy, I'm your godfather," Harry said. "And believe me, I will do my best to do everything that a father would do with his son. But I don't want to take your father's place…I don't want to erase either of your parents."

Teddy didn't reply.

"I'll always love you like my own son," Harry continued. "But your father was a great man…You don't deserve to just have him replaced. You deserve to _know_ what a great man he was. Same with your mother."

Teddy wiped his eyes. "Can you tell me another story about them, Harry?"

Harry smiled. "Sure. I'll the story of when I first met your dad. Well…first time I remember meeting him, that is. I was thirteen and Ron, Hermione and I sat down in the only compartment on the Hogwarts Express with seats still available-"


	18. Chapter 18

For years, Ginny had been going to Platform nine-and-three-quarters. Whether it was to see off one of her elder brothers, or to finally go herself, as long as she could remember, September first always meant a trip to King's Cross Station.

This year, though, with Ron, Harry, and Hermione gone, it felt strange…lonely.

"Write us twice a week," Molly told her daughter as she hugged her tightly. "At least. We need to know you're alright."

"I will, mum," Ginny promised, hugging her back.

"You'll be alright," Arthur said, but Ginny could tell he was saying those words more to himself than to her. "McGonagall's there. She'll look after the school and the students. Ginny, have your wand on you at all times, I mean it. Don't go looking for trouble, but if you find yourself in the situation-"

"I know, dad," Ginny said, kissing his cheek.

"Right then, I suppose you should get onto the train," Molly said, her eyes shining.

"Be safe," Ginny whispered to her parents, hugging them each again.

"Don't you worry about us," Arthur said, pulling a smile onto his face. "We'll be just fine."

There was definitely a different atmosphere amongst the students on the train; Ginny could sense it the moment she boarded. Normally, the students were rushing up and down the corridor, anxious to see their friends again. Now, the majority of the students seemed worried about leaving their families, and about what awaited them at Hogwarts.

"Luna!" Ginny called, spotting her friend further down the corridor.

"Oh, hello Ginny," Luna smiled. "Neville has a compartment saved down here."

"Wonderful," Ginny said, pulling her trunk towards the compartment Luna was standing next to.

"Hi there, Ginny," Neville said as she entered the compartment. "Have a good summer? I-I did hear about your brother's wedding. Did everybody get away alright?"

"Yes," Ginny nodded. "We were alerted just in time."

"Where is Harry?" Luna asked. "I suppose Ron and Hermione are already at the front of the train with the other Prefects?"

Ginny sighed, sliding the compartment door firmly shut. "Harry…Harry isn't coming to Hogwarts this year. Neither are Ron and Hermione."

"They're not?" Neville frowned.

"They left, after the fiasco at the wedding," Ginny explained. "They were never planning on going to Hogwarts, but after they got the news that the Ministry had officially fallen, they took as their cue…They're working to take down You-Know-Who."

"Course they are," Neville said, an admiring smile appearing on his face.

"What are they doing?" Luna asked.

"No clue," Ginny said honestly. "Only the three of them know. All I know is that Dumbledore left an important task to Harry."

"Harry didn't tell you any more than that?" Neville asked curiously. "I thought the two of you were-Sorry, none of my business."

"It doesn't matter what Harry and I were, he's doing what he has to do," Ginny said, trying to sound stronger than she felt.

"Well what are we going to do without him?" Neville asked. "I'm sure you've heard the news…Snape's headmaster. And I'm sure he's going to be letting all of his Death Eater friends do whatever they please around the castle."

"Well it's obvious, isn't it?" Luna said. "We fight."

"Fight?" Neville repeated.

"She's right," Ginny nodded. "We have to fight. We can't let Snape and the Death Eaters take over Hogwarts. We need to let them know that the students aren't going to stand by after he murdered Dumbledore last term. We need to give him Hell. We're Dumbledore's Army, after all, even if Harry's not here. DA was started to give students a chance to fight against the Dark Arts and, well, there's never been a better time for us to be doing exactly that."

"Alright!" Neville grinned.

"We can have DA meetings again," Luna beamed. "I've missed those."

"We'll do whatever we can," Ginny said. "Hogwarts isn't going to be giving in so easily…Snape's in for one rough year."


	19. Chapter 19

"The Sorting Hat was originally Godric Gryffindor's," Rose whispered to Albus as the two eleven-year olds stood out side the Great Hall with the rest of the incoming first-years. "I read about that in _Hogwarts: A History._ See, when the Founders were deciding how they would decide-"

"Rose?" Albus said. "No offense, but I'd rather not be given a history lesson just now."

"Oh, you're still nervous about the Sorting?" Rose frowned. "You _know_ James was just giving you a hard time; you're not going to be in Slytherin."

Albus didn't reply.

"You're Harry Potter's son," Rose told him. "There's no way you'll be in any other house _besides_ Gryffindor."

"It could happen," Albus mumbled.

Rose gave him a reassuring smile. "You're just anxious. You'll see, the second the hat touches your head, you'll be placed in Gryffindor."

Before Albus could respond, Neville opened the doors of the Great Hall.

"We're ready for you," he told the first-years, giving him a comforting smile. "This way, now."

"Look at it," Rose breathed in awe as she glanced around the Great Hall. "The sky is bewitched to look like the night sky, you know. It really is beautiful…"

They passed the Gryffindor table, and Rose and Albus spotted all of the Weasley-Potter cousins at once.

The first-years stopped at the front of the hall, where a three-legged stool with a ragged, worn hat was waiting for them.

Suddenly, the brim of the hat opened, and it began speaking.

 _I may be worn,_

 _I may be torn._

 _But still, I serve my part._

 _For no matter how many years pass,_

 _It is still I, who knows your heart._

 _Are you bold and daring?_

 _Is ambition what you possess?_

 _Are you loyal and caring?_

 _Or over knowledge, do you obsess?_

 _It is I, who makes the call,_

 _Here, in this Great Hall._

 _I look within, and I will find,_

 _What truly lies inside your mind._

The Great Hall erupted in cheers. Rose felt Albus tense next to her.

"Oh Al, it's going to be over soon," Rose said. "Tonight, while we're celebrating in the Gryffindor common room, you're going to laugh over how worried you were."

"Yeah…" Albus nodded slowly. "Maybe…"

The Sorting began, and Neville began calling each of the first-years up by name. Slowly, the line began to dwindle, and soon, only about a dozen students remained.

"Potter, Albus!" Neville called out.  
"Good luck," Rose whispered to her cousin as he took a deep breath.

Whispers began to fill the Great Hall. Rose wasn't surprised, and she knew Albus wasn't either. Everybody knew he was Harry Potter's son, after all. She glanced up at the staff table, and she noticed that all of the professors seemed particularly interested in Albus' sorting as well.

Neville gave Albus a small smile before placing the hat on his head.

Moments passed, and the hat remained on Albus' head far longer than it had for any other student. Finally, after nearly five minutes, the Sorting Hat's brim-mouth opened and shouted:

 _"Slytherin!"_

Rose's eyes widened in shock, and she let out a soft gasp.

She wasn't the only one who was surprised. Neville nearly dropped the Sorting Hat as he removed it from Albus' head, and Hagrid knocked over his goblet. Even Professor McGonagall looked rattled.

Rose turned back and glanced at the Gryffindor table.

James looked absolutely dumbfounded. Louis and Fred both had their jaws hanging open. Molly, Lucy, and Dominique where whispering amongst themselves. Even Victoire, who Rose could tell was trying to stay composed to maintain the Head Girl badge on her robes, looked as though she had been slapped across the face.

"Slytherin?" Rose whispered. "There has to be a mistake."

Albus slowly stepped back down from the stool, looking stunned. As he passed Rose, he looked right at her. "Well," he muttered. "You had to be wrong about something eventually."

Rose watched as he made his way over to the Slytherin table, sitting down at the only empty spot; next to Scorpius Malfoy.

Rose could hardly believe it…Albus Potter a Slytherin? How could that be?

Out of all her cousins, she had always been the closest to Albus. He was her best friend. They had spent countless nights talking about what it would be like when they went to Hogwarts together…never had they brought up the idea of being placed in separate houses.

Rose was in such deep thought that she didn't even hear her own name being called.

"Rose," Neville whispered, startling her out of her thoughts. "Come on, dear."

Rose stepped up to the stool and placed the hat on her own head.

 _"What have we here?"_ the hat's voice echoed in her head. _"Yet another Weasley? My, my quite the collection we've got here. Hmmm…you've certainly got the mind to excel in Ravenclaw…much like your mother…but you're bold…brazen…those are traits of a Gryffindor! So where shall I put you?"_

"Gryffindor," Rose pleaded. "I belong in Gryffindor."

" _Well,"_ the hat said slowly. " _In that case_ …Gryffindor!"

A sense of relief rushed over Rose as Neville took the hat from her head. She looked across the hall and saw Albus clapping for her; one of the only Slytherins doing so.

Rose headed to the other side of the hall towards the Gryffindor table, and took an empty seat near James, Fred, and Louis.

"Well, at least we got one," Fred said as Rose sat down. "Well done, Rosie."

"I can't believe it…" Louis said, shaking his head. "Slytherin? Al?"

"I was just teasing him," James said, running his fingers through his hair. "I-I was just messing around. I didn't think he'd _actually_ be a Slytherin! How can my own brother be a Slytherin?"

"He was so nervous before the Sorting," Rose said. "Maybe that affected the Hat's decision!"

"He should ask Professor Longbottom for a redo," Fred said. "I know it's probably against the rules, but they've got to make an exception."

"And look," James frowned, looking across the hall at his younger brother. "He's already getting chummy with that Malfoy git."

"How could this happen?" Louis asked. "Our entire family has been in Gryffindor for ages!"

"Not your mum," Rose reminded him.

"Well she didn't go to Hogwarts, did she?" Louis reminded her. "But she'd have been in Gryffindor if she went."

"Ravenclaw I could've handled," James muttered. "Hufflepuff would've been fine. Teddy was a Hufflepuff, after all! But _Slytherin_?"

"It makes no sense," Fred said firmly. "He's _Albus_. He's so…so…innocent. I mean this is the kid who refused to set off fireworks at grandmum's Easter dinner because he didn't want to upset the gnome families in the yard!"

"Madness," Louis said solemnly.

Rose stared down at her empty plate in front of her. She had been waiting for this moment for years; she was finally at Hogwarts, sitting at the Gryffindor table!

But all she could think about was Albus, and how it felt as though she had just lost her best friend.

….

"Victoire said to take this staircase…but I don't see how that could be right," Rose sighed the next morning. She had been wandering around the castle for nearly twenty minutes, and she now had no idea where she was.

 _Too bad_ _ **Hogwarts: A History**_ _didn't come with a map,_ Rose thought to herself.

As she turned the next corner, she nearly bumped into to somebody.

"Sorry!" Rose said quickly. "I didn't-Al!"

"Oh, hi," Albus said, clearly just as surprised to see his cousin.

The two were silent for a moment.

"I suppose you're trying to find your way down to the Great Hall too then, right?" Albus finally asked.

"Yes," Rose nodded. "Though at the moment I don't even know what floor we're on."

"So there wasn't a floor plan of the castle in that _Hogwarts: A History_ book of yours that you could've studied, was there?" Albus asked, showing a small grin.

"No," Rose smiled. "There wasn't."

Another silence fell over the two.

"Rose, you-you don't think any differently of me now, do you?" Albus suddenly asked in a quiet voice. "Because-Because I'm a Slytherin?"

"Well, no," Rose said slowly.

"Because you're my best friend," Albus muttered. "I know the whole castle is already talking about Harry Potter's son being in Slytherin…but I don't care what any of those people think. But-But I care what you think about me."

"Albus," Rose said. "You-You'll always be my best friend too. No-No matter what houses we're in. I think last night I was just-"

"Shocked?" Albus finished for her knowingly.

"Yeah," Rose nodded. "Shocked. I always assumed we'd be in Gryffindor together."

"How did James take it?" Albus asked hesitantly.

"He's shocked too," Rose admitted. "All of them are. But I think in time they'll learn to accept it. They all know you and, well, James, Fred, and Louis will probably never admit it, but they love you. Being sorted into Slytherin won't change that."

"I hope so," Albus sighed.

"Have you told your parents yet?" Rose asked.

"Yes, I wrote them last night," Albus nodded. "Figured James would be mentioning it anyway in his own letter."

"Your dad always says houses don't matter," Rose pointed out.

"I know," Albus said. "And-And he told me, before I got onto the train, that he wouldn't mind at all if I got sorted into Slytherin."

"That's wonderful," Rose said. "Hey, what's the Slytherin common room like?"

"Dark," Albus said at once. "I think it's beneath the lake or something."

"And-And the students?" Rose asked.

"Some of them seem…unfriendly," Albus told her. "Like the blokes you would normally think of when you think of Slytherin. But a lot of them actually seem decent. Um…you know Scorpius Malfoy and I share a dormitory."

"I figured," Rose frowned. "Is he horrible?"

"No," Albus said, sounding surprised himself. "He's…nice."

"Nice?" Rose repeated. "Malfoy?"

"He's very good at magic already," Albus said. "Sent a leg-lock curse at a second-year last night in the common room."

"He's cursing students?" Rose gasped.

"This bloke had it coming," Albus told her. "Was going on about how he can't believe 'mudbloods' are still allowed in the school. Scorpius told him to knock it off, but he wouldn't. So…leg-lock curse."

"Wait…really?" Rose said. " _That's_ why he cursed him?"

Albus nodded.

"Wow," Rose said. "That's…wow."

"I know," Albus nodded. "Anyway, I reckon we should really try to find the Great Hall. We have to get our schedules."

"Oh yes, I can't wait to see what classes I have today!" Rose said eagerly. "I hope I have Transfiguration first. No…Charms! Oh, but Potions is bound to be interesting. But so is Herbology with Neville…"

"Gryffindor and Slytherin always have classes together," Albus told her. "So I'll be seeing you around, I'm sure. Lucky for me…I'll need somebody to get answers off of."

Rose rolled her eyes. " _Not_ going to happen."


	20. Chapter 20

"So, this is the place, huh?" Ginny said, looking around the empty flat. "This is going to be your bachelor pad. Seems a bit plain, don't you think?"

"Ron and I haven't even moved in yet, course it's plain," Harry said, rolling his eyes. "But what do you think? Really?"

"It's nice," Ginny said. "Spacey. And it's really a muggle building?"

"Yeah," Harry said. "Hermione's parents live about ten minutes away. Ron wanted to find a place close to her house so when she comes home from Hogwarts during the breaks, she'll be able to visit easily."

"And what about when _I_ come home from Hogwarts?" Ginny asked. "Am _I_ allowed to visit?"

"Course you are," Harry grinned. "You're welcome whenever you like."

"Shame you can't disapparate within Hogwarts," Ginny sighed. "I'd be able to visit you more often."

"I know," Harry agreed. "But you know I'll meet you in Hogsmeade whenever you get to go. And I think I can persuade McGonagall into letting me come see some Quidditch games."

"Just remind her you saved the Wizarding world," Ginny smirked.

"You think McGonagall would actually give me special treatment for something like that?" Harry chuckled.

"Fair point," Ginny agreed. She stepped over to Harry and leaned up to give him a short kiss.

"So," she whispered. "Do I get to see your bedroom?"

"Alright," Harry grinned, taking her hand and leading her up a flight of stairs. He opened up the first door on the right, revealing a small, but comfortable looking room. Only a bed and dresser stood inside.

"I still have to bring the rest of my stuff from the Burrow," Harry told her. "But this is it."

"Very cozy," Ginny commented, sitting down on his bed. "You're really moving up in this world, Potter."

"Thanks," Harry said, sitting down next to her on the bed.

"So," Ginny said, moving even closer to him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Is Ron going to be out long?"

"He's supposed to be back any moment," Harry said regretfully, running his fingers through his hair. "The dumb git…Leave it to him to ruin a moment without even being here."

"It's one of his few talents," Ginny agreed. She laid down, letting her head rest against Harry's chest. "I can't believe I'm going to Hogwarts in one week without you."

"I know," Harry said, kissing the top of her head. "I'm going to miss you like mad."

"I know you will," Ginny said. "I suppose I'll miss you a bit as well too."

"You're just full of charm, aren't you?" Harry said playfully.

Ginny laughed, rolling over so that she was now on top of him, staring down into his green eyes.

"You'll write often, won't you?" she asked softly.

"You know I will," Harry promised her.

"You won't get too busy being an Auror?" Ginny asked.

"I'll never be too busy for you," Harry told her. "Only…that's right…"

"What?" Ginny frowned. "You _will_ be too busy for me?"

"No, it's not that," Harry sighed. "I just remembered; I don't have an owl anymore to send letters."

Ginny's face fell. "Oh…That _is_ right."

"Can't believe its been over a year since Hedwig was killed," Harry said heavily.

"I know," Ginny agreed. "She was such a nice bird. Beautiful, too. Hagrid bought her for you, didn't he?"

"Yeah," Harry said, a small smile appearing on his face as he recalled the memory. "First birthday present I remember getting."

"I'm sorry she got brought up," Ginny said, nuzzling closer to him. "I know you miss her terribly."

"It's alright," Harry said. "I suppose I _do_ have to get a new owl at some point."

"I'm sure Ron would let you use Pig," Ginny reasoned. "He's going to be writing Hermione anyway; the two of you can just attach your letters at the same time."

"Poor bird would probably topple over from the extra weight of two letters," Harry smirked. "No…I should get my own owl."

Ginny reached for his hand. "It's not like you're replacing her, you know. She's always going to be your first owl…who died a fighter and a hero."

"I know," Harry said, squeezing her hand back.

The two were silent for a moment.

"Would you want to go with me?" Harry asked suddenly. "Now?"

"Go where?" Ginny asked.

"To get an owl," Harry said.

Ginny smiled, pressing a gentle kiss to his temple. "I'd love to."

….

As Harry and Ginny walked through Diagon Alley, nearly every shopper they passed turned to stare at Harry, whispering frantically amongst themselves and pointing up at his scar.

 _Please don't let anyone ask for an autograph today_ , Ginny thought to herself, gripping his hand tightly.

The couple reached Eeylops Owl Emporium, and Ginny was relieved to see that it was mostly empty. About a hundred owls fluttered around the shop, and the floor was littered with straw, droppings, and old mouse bones.

Ginny glanced at a group of Snowy owls that looked very similar to Hedwig. As she suspected, Harry walked right past them, over to a section of simple tawny owls.

"Do you see any you like?" Ginny asked.

"I don't know," Harry said honestly. He carefully reached up and gently stroked the feathers of one of the tawny owls. "I need one that can handle the trip to and from Hogwarts several times. You reckon these could?"

"They look like they could," Ginny nodded. She looked over and spotted a small owl with spotted feathers. His beak seemed to have been broken at one point, for it was jagged and misshapen.

"Hi there," she whispered, holding out her hand. She allowed the bird to inspect her hand before beginning to stroke it.

"Ah, you found our baby," the shopkeeper said, walking over to Ginny.

"He's just a baby?" Ginny frowned.

"Yes, hardly three months old," the shop keep nodded. "Poor thing…"

"Why do you say that?" Harry asked.

"Well, he's orphaned, you see," the shopkeeper sighed. "Brought here after his parents were killed…from what I understand they were hit by one of those muggle machines with the wheels and the horns-"

"A car," Harry nodded.

"Yes, one of those," the shop keep said. "Anyway, luckily some wizard found this little guy waiting in a nest not too far away and decided to bring him in. The other owls haven't been too kind to him, though. You see his beak? One of the bigger ones did that trying to take his dinner."

Harry carefully reached out and stroked the owl as well. Ginny looked up at him, and saw a small smile form on his face.

"Do you like him?" Harry asked her.

"Well yes," Ginny nodded. "Do you?"

"Yeah," Harry said. He turned to the shop keep. "I'll take him."


	21. Chapter 21

"House is far too quiet without Rosie," Ron sighed as he handed Harry a butterbeer and sank down onto his couch. "I don't like it."

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Harry nodded. "When James first went off last year it was so strange not hearing explosions coming from his room, or constant fighting between him and Albus. And now without Albus, it seems even quieter."

"Can't imagine what it'll be like once Lily and Hugo go to Hogwarts in two years," Ron said.

"I try to avoid thinking about that," Harry smirked.

"Dad, is alright if Lily and I practice Quidditch in the yard?" Hugo asked, coming into the room with his cousin. "We need to get into top form if we're going to make the Gryffindor team once we start Hogwarts

"Alright," Ron nodded. "What positions are you aiming for?"

"Beater," Hugo grinned.

"I want to be a Chaser," Lily said proudly. "Like mummy."

"She'll love that," Harry chuckled.

"Speaking of Quiddtch," Ron said as the children ran out to the yard. "James is trying out for Gryffindor this year, right?"

"Yeah, as Seeker," Harry nodded.

"He's got a real shot," Ron said. "He's nearly better than you are…no offense, mate."

"It's true," Harry agreed. He checked his watch. "I should probably be going soon. Ginny should be home from the match she was covering about now."

"Hold on, Hermione left you some papers you're supposed to fill out from your last Auror mission," Ron said, getting to his feet. "I'm supposed to give them to you. Come on, I think they're in her office."

"Where _is_ Hermione anyway?" Harry asked as he followed Ron to the small room down the hall.

"She's having tea with Audrey at some muggle café," Ron replied, stepping over to Hermione's desk. He jumped as he spotted Crookshanks laying on her chair, apparently fast asleep.

"There's that bloody cat," Ron muttered. "I was looking for him all morning. Left food in his bowl hours ago…Oh, here they are."

He handed Harry a stack of parchment slips. "She said to just drop them off when you see her tomorrow at work."  
"Right," Harry said, staring down at the cat. "Er, Ron? Does Crookshanks seem a bit…still to you?"

"What do you mean?" Ron frowned.

"I mean…he's not moving," Harry said.

"Well he doesn't do much moving these days," Ron shrugged. "Spends most of his time sleeping."

"Yes, but…I don't think he's asleep," Harry said slowly.

"What are you-Hold on, you don't mean…" Ron said. "No…"

He quickly kneeled down and prodded the cat with his finger. "Crookshanks…get up! Come on, up!"

The cat still didn't move. Ron rested his hand on Crookshank's back, hoping to feel the feline breathing.

But there was nothing.

"Oh no…" Ron said softly. "He's-He's really dead."

"Seems like he went in his sleep," Harry pointed out. "At least he passed on peacefully."

"Yes, but…Harry, Hermione's going to be devastated," Ron said. "You know she loves this cat!"

"I know," Harry said heavily. "She's had him for over twenty years."

"How are we supposed to tell her about this?" Ron asked.

"We?" Harry repeated. " _You_ are the one's who telling her."

"I'm terrible at delivering bad news, though!" Ron exclaimed.

"She's your wife, she'd rather hear the news from you," Harry said. "Alone. If you like, Hugo can stay at my place tonight."

"Fine," Ron conceded. He glanced down at the cat. "This is going to be pleasant…"

….

"Hello?" Hermione called out a few hours later as she entered home. "Ron?"

"Hi," Ron said quickly, coming into the entranceway to greet her. "How was tea with Audrey?"

"Nice," Hermione replied. "We went to a muggle mall afterwards and looked around for a bit. What about you? What were you up to today?"

"Nothing much," Ron said.

"I thought Harry was coming by?" Hermione said.

"Oh, yeah, he did," Ron nodded. "Yeah, he-he just left, though."

"Did you gave him those forms I asked you to?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah, course I did," Ron said quickly.

"Thank you," Hermione smiled. "Have you started dinner? I'm sure Hugo's getting pretty hungry."

"Oh, he's with Harry and Ginny," Ron said. "They're taking the kids to that muggle cinema place. You know with the big screens?"

"Oh, that sounds fun," Hermione said. "So it's just us here tonight then?"

"Um, yeah," Ron said. "But listen, I-I have something I need to tell you. Something important."

Hermione's face fell. "What is it? Is everyone okay? Is it Rose? Oh, did something happen up at the school-"

"No," Ron said quickly. "But um…do-do you want to sit down?"

"Ron," Hermione said firmly. "What is it?"

Ron sighed. "It's Crookshanks."

"Crookshanks?" Hermione repeated, confused. "What about him?"

"He…I guess he fell asleep in your office this afternoon," Ron started. "And, um, he-he never work up."

Hermione's eyes widened in shock. "No…"

"Come here," Ron said at once, wrapping his arms around her. "Hermione, I'm so sorry. I know how much you cared about him. But-But it looks like he went in his sleep, so he didn't suffer."

"Is he still in there?" Hermione asked, wiping her eyes.

"No, I moved him," Ron said. "I-I put him on his bed. But, um, I-I thought we could have a small funeral for him tonight. Lay him to rest properly…"

Hermione nodded, saying nothing.

"I'm really sorry," Ron said gently, still holding her tight.

"No, it-it's alright," Hermione sniffed. "He was an old cat…we knew this was coming."

Ron reached down and wiped a few stray tears from her face. "You can still be sad about it…Crookshanks has been part of our lives since we were thirteen, hasn't he? Since the moment he pounced on my head in that pet shop."

Hermione managed a small smile.

"To tell you the truth, Crookshanks has sort of grown on me over the years," Ron admitted.

"You call him a useless creature three times a day," Hermione said.

"Yes, but that was mostly to give you a hard time," Ron said, giving her an apologetic smile. "Really…he was a good cat. Especially once he stopped using me as a personal scratching post."

He kissed the top of her head.

"Can I go see him?" Hermione asked softly.

"Course," Ron said, taking her hand. He led her into the sitting room, where Crookshanks was laid out on his small bed.

Hermione let out a small cry as she knelt down and stroked his back. "Oh Crookshanks…"

Ron knelt down next to her and let her rest her head on his shoulder as more tears fell from her eyes.

"He really was a good cat," Ron said again. "I mean it, Hermione. I know I picked on him and messed around, but I did care for him a lot. He was loyal…smart…I remember this one time, when I was still working as an Auror, I came home after this really tough mission. You were already in bed, and I knew I was going to be falling asleep any time soon, so I sat down here, trying to clear my head. I think Crookshanks sensed that I was upset…right away he sat down on my lap…didn't try to scratch me or anything…he just sat with me for hours and it was comforting."

Hermione squeezed his hand.

"But what I loved most about Crookshanks," Ron continued. "Was how much _you_ loved him. You picked him out because you were worried nobody else would want to take him home…your face lit up whenever he curled up against you, and watching you whenever he was around…it's clear he made you happy, and _that_ was his best trait."

Hermione looked up at him, her eyes shining. "Thank you, Ron. That really does man a lot."

….


	22. Chapter 22

"Tell me you're not actually considering this," Ginny frowned. "Have you gone completely mental?"

"It just seems like it's the right thing to do," Harry said. "He-He seemed sincerely sorry."

"He watched his parents torture you for sixteen years," Ginny said. " _He_ tortured you. Didn't you say he used to shove your head into toilets?"

"I'm not saying we're going to become best mates," Harry said. "But maybe we can move past everything and become acquaintances or something. It's been three years since I left the Dursley's, after all. "

"Well, for the record, I think you're insane," Ginny said simply.

"Noted," Harry smiled, giving her a quick kiss. "I won't be long."

"Good, because mum wants our opinions on tablecloths for the wedding," Ginny said. "And I'm not dealing with that alone."

"Alright," Harry smiled. "I'll see you later."

"Give Dudley a swift kick for me," Ginny said.

…

The muggle coffee shop, where Dudley and Harry had agreed to meet, was nearly empty when Harry walked in. Though it had been three years since he had last seen his cousin when him and his parents came out of hiding after the war, Harry still immediately recognized Dudley sitting in the far corner of the shop.

"'Lo," Harry said as he approached his table.

Dudley looked up at once. "Hi."

"Sorry I'm late," Harry said, sitting down in the empty chair.

"That's alright, I just got here myself," Dudley said. "Er, I ordered you some coffee. Wasn't sure exactly what you drank, but I figured I couldn't go wrong with black coffee."

"Black coffee's fine, thanks," Harry said.

"I've got to admit, I was surprised when you called," Dudley said. "Figured I'd never hear from you again. Not-not that I can blame you."

"I sort of got busy after I saw you last," Harry said. "New job, dealing with everything from the war…I found your number the other day while I was cleaning off my dresser. Thought it'd be nice to, um, catch up. So, um…how have you been?"

"Oh, alright I suppose," Dudley replied. "I'm working right now as a junior assistant at Grunnings. I'm thinking of trying to get into university, though, so I can go into another job. Drills really aren't my thing, but dad offered me the position and I needed to start earning money so I could move out on my own…"

"Ah," Harry nodded. "Well…good luck then."

"What about you?" Dudley asked. "What do you do in, well, your world?"

"I'm an Auror," Harry told him. "It's sort of like a muggle police officer."

"Whoa," Dudley said, impressed. "Do you like it?"

"Couldn't imagine doing anything else," Harry nodded.

"I imagine dad would've be shocked to find out 'your lot' has such a profession," Dudley smirked. "He always thought you were just lawless miscreants running around. Even after he saw your Ministry…"

"Yes, well…wait, sorry, did you say _would've_?" Harry frowned.

"Oh, um, yes," Dudley said, clearing his throat. "Dad, um, passed away at the beginning of the year."

Harry blinked. "Oh. Um, I-I'm sorry to hear that."

"Don't have to pretend," Dudley said, giving him a small smile. "To be honest, we weren't really close towards the end. Hadn't spoken to him in six months when mum called to tell me the news."

"Thought you worked with him?" Harry pointed out.

"Different departments," Dudley shrugged. "And I would try to avoid him as much as possible. I just…I didn't want to become anything like him. I know that's probably a terrible thing to say, because he was my dad and all, but, well…he was awful."

Harry didn't reply.

"Anyway," Dudley said, sensing he had brought up an awkward topic. "Um, anything else going on in your life?"

"Well, yes, I'm actually getting married," Harry said.

"Are you?" Dudley said. "That's excellent."

"Her name's Ginny," Harry told him. "She's best mate's sister. I don't know if you remember Ron…he was one of the red heads that broke through your chimney over one summer."

"Oh yeah," Dudley nodded. "Well, er, congratulations. I wish you the best."

"Thanks," Harry said.

"When's the wedding?" Dudley asked.

"Beginning of next month," Harry said. "We wanted to wait until after her Quidditch season finished."

"Quidditch?"  
"Sorry," Harry said. "It's our sport. She plays professionally; she's amazing at it."

"Ah," Dudley nodded.

"Speaking of Ginny, I've actually got to go and meet her soon," Harry said, finishing off the last of his coffee. "We're meeting her mum to go over some wedding details."

"Course," Dudley said. "I wouldn't want to keep you. Um, I'm glad to hear everything's well with you. Maybe, I dunno, we could do this again sometime?"

"That'd be nice," Harry agreed. He turned to head out the door, but slowly looked back at Dudley.

"Hey, um, listen, if you'll be in town on the fifth of next month…would you want to come to the wedding?" he asked.

"Oh!" Dudley said, looking rather surprised. "Yeah, I-I'd love to."

"Brilliant," Harry said. "I'll see you then."

"Looking forward to it," Dudley smiled.

…

"You invited him to our _wedding_?" Ginny repeated. "Have you completely lost it?"

"Dunno," Harry said. "I might have."

He pulled Ginny down onto his lap, smiling as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I know I should've asked you first," he said. "It was …spur of the moment."

"I'm not mad," Ginny told him, lacing her fingers with his. "It's just…I don't know how you can be so forgiving. If it was me, the only contact I would want would be to switch his toilet seat with one of those biting ones George just created."

Harry chuckled. "Don't think I haven't thought of that…But, I guess I reckon there's really nothing to come from holding a grudge against him, especially when he _is_ trying to make amends."

Ginny pressed her forehead to his, staring down into his green eyes. "You _have_ lost it," she informed him. She kissed the tip of his nose. "But luckily I'm far too in love with you at this point to mind."


	23. Chapter 23

"You'll never guess what I have!" fourteen-year old Lily Luna Potter said, rushing over to her cousin, Rose, who was sitting at the kitchen table in the Burrow, her nose in a book.

"What?" Rose asked, looking up.

"Two tickets," Lily grinned, pulling out two rectangular parchment stubs from her pocket. "To the Weird Sisters concert in London tonight."

"How'd you get those?" Rose asked.

"Won them," Lily grinned. "I went to Diagon Alley to buy more owl pellets, and there was a raffle happening outside of the Leaky Cauldron. Thought I'd put my name in, just for fun, but I _won_! Isn't that amazing? So tonight the two of us are going to have the time of our lives!"

"Yeah, right," Rose scoffed, turning back to her book.

"What do you mean?" Lily frowned. "You love the Weird Sisters! You're telling me you wouldn't want to go to one of their concerts?"

"Sure I would," Rose replied. "But you know full well our parents wouldn't let us go. Those concerts are known for getting out of control."

"Well of course they wouldn't let us go," Lily said, rolling her eyes. "Which is why we just don't tell them we're going."

"Lily! We can't do that," Rose said firmly. "We're bound to get caught."

"No, we won't," Lily said. "Look, this is the perfect opportunity for something like this. Your mum is off with Hugo and Al at that football final thing in Ireland. _My_ mum is away covering the Harpies game. That just leaves our dad's to get past, and they're _easy_. I have it all planned out; all you have to do is say you're spending the night at my house, and I'll tell my dad I'm spending the night at your house."

"And what if they talk and realize we're not where we say we are?" Rose pointed out.

"My dad just got back from that Auror mission this morning before mum left," Lily told her. "He's dead exhausted. I say he'll be in bed right after dinner."

Rose didn't reply.

"Come on, live a little, Rosie," Lily pleaded. "You've spent this whole summer studying for your N.E.W.T. exams. You deserve to have some fun."

"I'm studying because they're only the most important tests I'll take in my life, thank you," Rose snapped. "And I really should keep studying tonight."

"You're going to pass all of your N.E.W.T. exams with flying colors," Lily told her. "Most students in your year probably haven't even started studying yet. All you're going to do if you keep driving yourself mad with this insane study schedule of yours is stress yourself out to the point where you have a breakdown before you even take the bloody exams."

"I don't know…" Rose sighed. She glanced at her textbook. She supposed taking a break for just one night couldn't do too much harm…

"Fine," Rose conceded. "Fine, we'll go to the concert."

"Yes!" Lily cheered, throwing her arms around her cousin. "You'll have a great time tonight, I promise! Alright, meet me outside Godric's Hallow at eight tonight. Since you don't have your apperation license yet, we'll have to fly."

"Alright," Rose said, still looking nervous.

…

"It was nice of grandmum to bring over these sandwiches for us," Lily said that evening, as she sat with Harry at the kitchen table in the Potter's home.

"She knows if I attempted to cook anything I'd burn the house down," Harry smirked.

"Like you did that time you tried to bake that cake for mum's birthday?" Lily grinned.

"Er, yes, like that," Harry nodded, letting out a long yawn.

"Are you tired, daddy?" Lily asked sweetly.

"Yes, I've been up since yesterday morning," Harry nodded. "Reckon I'll finish my dinner and head up for the night. Will you be alright on your own?"

"Actually, I wanted to ask you if I could spend the night at Rose's?" Lily said. "Uncle Ron already said it's okay."

"Oh, alright," Harry shrugged. "Have fun then. While you're there, do me a favor and see if you can find my gobstones anywhere. Ron claims he returned them after he borrowed them, but I haven't seen them since."

"I will," Lily replied as Harry got to his feet. "Good night, daddy."

"Night, sweetheart," Harry yawned, starting towards the stairs.

Lily waited a moment to make sure her father was safely upstairs before scrambling to her feet, grabbing her bag that she had packed with a change of clothes that she had prepared earlier in the day, took her broomstick from the cabinet by the stairs, and hurried out of the house.

Rose was waiting for her, bouncing on her heels anxiously.

"Did your dad ask any questions?" Lily asked when she reached her cousin.

"No," Rose replied. "Now let's just go before I change my mind. Are you sure it's a good idea to fly there? What if a muggle sees us?"

"We'll fly high enough so the clouds will cover us," Lily said simply, mounting her broomstick.

"Alright," Rose sighed, sliding onto her own broomstick. "Let's get this over with."

….

"The one time he writes home," Harry yawned as he came downstairs later that night, a large snowy bird perched on his shoulder. "Has to be when I've just fallen asleep."

Just as Harry turned on the lights in the living room, there was a loud popping sound, and Ron appeared in the middle of the room.

"Oh good, you're up," Ron said. "Figured you'd be asleep by now after you got back from that mission. How was Hungary?"

"Cold," Harry replied. "But we caught the bloke."

"What was he wanted for again?" Ron asked.

"Attempted murder of three muggle-borns," Harry replied. "Fortunately it's a clean case. All the victims are recovering nicely in St. Mungo's, and Azkaban will be getting a new prisoner by morning."

"Good," Ron nodded. "Hey, is that James' owl?"

"Oh, yeah," Harry nodded. "Just got a letter from him. This bloody bird woke me up pecking away at my window."

The owl gave a huff on indignation, lightly nipping Harry's ear.

"Everything okay?" Ron asked.

"Yeah, he just wrote to tell us how practice has been going," Harry said. "Apparently he set a Tornado's record for quickest snitch capture time."

"Look at you glowing with fatherly pride," Ron grinned. "Still say Jamie should've taken the offer he got to play for the Cannons. The Seeker we wound up with is dead awful."

"I thought you said he was the best recruit the team got this year," Harry frowned.

"He is," Ron said. "The other players are a whole different level of awful."

"Ah," Harry nodded, grabbing some owl treats from a nearby shelf and feeding them to the bird. He then stepped across the room and opened up the window. "Alright, Zip, I'm not writing back to James until morning. Come back for his letter then."

The owl hooted appreciatively as it took off into the night.

"So," Ron said. "Are you going back to bed then? Or are you up for watching one of your muggle films?"

"Might as well," Harry shrugged. "Won't be able to fall back asleep anyway. Which one do you want to see?"

"It's been awhile since we've seen the one with those fellows with the glowing wand-things," Ron said thoughtfully, making himself comfortable on the couch.

"Fine," Harry agreed, beginning to set up the television.

"We should see if Rose and Lily want to watch with us," Ron said.

"Go ahead," Harry said. "Lily loves this movie."

"Alright," Ron said, getting to his feet. "I'm assuming they're in her room."

"Why would you assume that?" Harry frowned.

"Well where else would they be?" Ron shrugged. "You haven't already cleared out James' room have you? The kid's been moved out for three months!"

"No…" Harry said. "But seeing as the girls are at _your_ house, I think you'd have better luck looking in Rose's room."

"Blimey, that mission must've really taken it out of you," Ron said. "Rose told me she was staying with Lily _here_. She came over about three hours ago."

"Um, no," Harry said. "Lily told _specifically_ that she was going over to your house to spend the night with Rose."

"Well this makes no sense," Ron said, looking puzzled. "Why would-"

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me!" Harry moaned, running his hand through his hair. "Ron, don't you see what happened?"

"No," Ron said, shaking his head.

"We got played," Harry said. "By our own daughters!"

"What? That's ridiculous," Ron scoffed.

"No, it isn't," Harry said. "They snuck off somewhere, and thought they could outsmart us by using a double cover story. James, Louis, and Fred used to do it all the time when they were younger. Can't believe I fell for it again…"

"Well then where the bloody hell are they?" Ron exclaimed. "Oh this is just brilliant…Hermione leaves for one weekend and I lose our daughter. She's going to murder me!"

"Yeah, and I'm sure Ginny will be sending a few bat boogey hexes my way once she hears about this," Harry sighed. "Alright, we've got to go find them. Where do you think they'd be?"

"Hogsmeade? Diagon Alley?" Ron suggested.

"Right, I guess those are starts," Harry said, grabbing his cloak and pulling it on over his pajamas.

"Figures this happens when Ginny and Hermione are away," Ron said, pulling out his wand.

"I reckon that's why Rose and Lily planned this," Harry said. "Probably thought the two of us would be easier to get past."

"We would not be _easier_ ," Ron defended.

"Evidently we were," Harry pointed out.

"Well...I suppose," Ron mumbled lamely.

…..

"There's nowhere else left to look!" Ron said hours later, as they apperated back into Harry's living room. "They're not at Diagon Alley, Hogsmeade, Teddy and Victoire's, that muggle mall they like…I'm starting to get worried, Harry."

"So am I," Harry said heavily. "Alright…they've both still got the Trace on them, don't they? I bet if we go down to the Ministry I can figure out how to use that to -"

Harry was cut off by the sound of the front door opening. A moment later Rose and Lily appeared in the living room, both looking flushed, and giggling between themselves.

"We have to be really quiet, Rosie," Lily whispered to her cousin. "So we don't wake my dad up. So _shh_!"

"There you are!" Ron said loudly, startling the girls. "Where have you been?"

"Oh no, Lily!" Rose gasped. "I think our dad's found out we snuck out."

"Whoops," Lily giggled.

"I can't believe you snuck out!" Harry exclaimed. "Ron and I have been going mad trying to find you two! We've been worried sick!"

"Sorry, daddy," Lily said sweetly, staggering slightly. "Whoa! How'd you make the room spin like that? That was cool, do it again!"

"What the-" Harry said, confused, as Rose and Lily collapsed onto the couch, laughing hysterically.

"Bloody hell!" Ron moaned. "They're drunk!"

"Yes!" Rose nodded. "We _are_ , thanks for noticing, dad!"

"Fantastic," Harry sighed, massaging his temples. "Alright, you two, pull it together and tell us where you went right now."

"The Sisters Weird concert," Lily slurred. "It was _fun_! They had free Firewhisky!"

"She means the Weird Sisters concert," Ron muttered to Harry.

"Yes, I managed to decipher that, thanks," Harry said, rolling his eyes. "But what were you doing there?"

"I got tickets from Diagon Alley!" Lily said proudly. "I was the winner!"

"Well, I hope you had fun," Ron said, crossing his arms. "Rose, you're grounded…Whoa, never thought I'd say those words."

"I _am_ on the ground, dad," Rose giggled.

"Save your energy," Harry muttered to Ron. "It's no use yelling at them while they're in this state. Trust me, I learned that with James and Teddy. Save the punishments for tomorrow when they actually know one end of their wand from the other."

"Reckon you're right," Ron sighed, stepping over and helping Rose to her feet. "Alright Rose, let's go."

"Bye, Rosie!" Lily called from the couch. "Told you this would beat your dumb N.E.W.T. studying."

"It did," Rose grinned. "Stupid N.E.W.T.s…I should fail them all on purpose!"

"She really _is_ out of it," Ron said, shaking his head.

"I'd go easy on her," Harry said softly. "Something tells me Lily was the mastermind behind this stunt…"

"Lily?" Lily repeated from the couch. "Oh! That's me!"

"Good luck," Ron said, clearly trying to hold back a laugh.

"You too, mate," Harry said as Ron and Rose disapperated back to their home. He turned to his daughter. "Alright, Lil, let's get you to bed. The sooner you sleep this off, the sooner I can yell at you properly."

"Okay, daddy," Lily said, jumping to her feet, nearly crashing into the coffee table as she did.

"Careful," Harry said, helping her up the steps. "Last thing I need is for you to break your neck tripping over furniture."

"Daddy?" Lily yawned. "Are you mad at me?"

"Furious," Harry nodded.

"Oh…" Lily sighed. "That's not good. You still love me though, right?"

"I do," Harry said, unable to help the small smile that formed across his face as he helped Lily pull off her shoes before crawling into bed. He kissed the top of her head. "We'll deal with this in the morning."

"Alright," Lily yawned, falling back against her pillows.

…

The next morning, Harry cracked open Lily's door, finding his daughter still huddled beneath her covers.

"Lily, let's go," Harry said, flicking his wand at her curtains, causing them to fly open. "It's nearly eleven."

"Ah! Why the hell would you do that?" Lily exclaimed, shielding her eyes against the sun. "Ow! My head feels like somebody dropped a bolder on it."

"That's what Merlin knows how many swigs of Firewhisky will do to you," Harry said, rolling his eyes. He handed her a cup of hot coffee. "Here, drink this."

"Thanks," Lily muttered, taking the mug from him. "So…how bad is my punishment?"

"Hmm, cutting right to the chase, are we?" Harry said. "Alright. I'm taking your broomstick for three weeks."

"Three weeks?" Lily exclaimed, wincing right after.

"I talked myself down from six, be thankful," Harry told her. "Also, you'll be taking over de-gnoming the garden until you go back to school. _And_ you'll be cleaning the owl cages until then as well."  
"That's excessive," Lily muttered.

"Would you like to wait until your mother gets home and hear her punishment?" Harry asked.

"Um…no," Lily said quickly.

"Good choice," Harry smirked, sitting down on the foot of her bed. "Lily…what you and Rose did last night was unbelievably stupid. You could've gotten yourself into trouble. Why would you sneak out like that? Ron and I were losing our heads searching for you both."

"We just wanted to have fun," Lily mumbled lamely. "And-And I wanted Rose to take just _one_ night away from her dumb N.E.W.T. studying. She's making herself nuts over those tests, and they're months away! I bet Aunt Hermione didn't even study this hard for hers."

"Well Lily, that was a good idea, but that doesn't excuse the fact that you snuck out behind my back," Harry said firmly. "If you and Rose wanted to have fun, you could've played Gobstones or stayed in here and watched the television."

"Dad, those are like, the two dullest ideas I've ever heard," Lily frowned. "But…I am sorry. I didn't mean for you and Uncle Ron to worry about us. Um, so, are-are you going to tell mum about this?"

"Lily, you snuck out of the house, went to a concert, and got completely drunk," Harry sighed. "That's a _big_ deal. However…after discussing the matter with Ron last night once you and Rose were asleep, the two of us decided that if you agree to your punishments without any complaining, we could keep this incident between the four of us."

"You knew mum and Aunt Hermione would be more mad at you two than us, didn't you?" Lily grinned.

"That has nothing to do with it," Harry said firmly. "I told you, Lily, what you did last night, no matter how good your intentions were, is _not_ acceptable. And if it happens again, I'm not going to be so forgiving."

"Alright," Lily nodded. "It won't."

"Honestly," Harry sighed, getting to his feet, shaking his head. "Sneaking out of the house…going off to some concert… _Firewhisky_? Unbelievable!"

"I suppose I could've just stolen a car and flown it around London for a bit of fun," Lily sighed. "Or flown a Threstral to the Ministry of Magic. That would've been far less reckless, right daddy?"

Harry rolled his eyes. He _hated_ it when his kids pulled this card on him.

"Now it's four weeks without the broom," Harry said firmly, turning and leaving the room. He headed down to the kitchen, where Ron was siting at the table.

"Hey," Harry greeted his best friend. "Is Rose up then?"

"Yeah," Ron sighed. "Lily?"

"Just woke her," Harry said. "Have you given your punishment yet?"

"Told her she had to bathe and tend to Crookshanks for the next month," Ron said.

"That's it?" Harry smirked. "Lily won't be pleased with me when she hears that. But then again, this is Rose's first time getting into trouble, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Ron said. "Course it happens on my watch…Lily knows not to mention any of this to Ginny, right?"

"Yeah," Harry nodded. "She knows."

"Truthfully, I'm really not that mad," Ron admitted. "Yes, worrying where those two were all night wasn't enjoyable, and I'd have preferred _not_ to have my daughter drunk out of her skull, but…she kind of needed something like this. Poor girl's been studying around the clock all summer."

"Lily mentioned that," Harry nodded. "She's giving Hermione a run for her money, isn't she?"

"I'd say," Ron agreed. "Hermione and I have tried getting her to take a break, but she insists that if she does, she'll fail everything. Anyway, last night was probably the first time she didn't have a book in her hand in months. Part of me wants to go up there and thank Lily."

"Don't you dare," Harry warned.

"I won't," Ron chuckled. "Anyway, though, if you think about it, sneaking out to some concert is nothing compared to what we did when we were their age."

"Lily already pointed that out," Harry grinned. "My kids all tend to remember every story we've told them over the years and use them against me in these situations."

"Hugo does that too," Ron said, getting to his feet. "Well, I need to go help George in the shop. Could you do me a favor and check in on Rose every few hours or so? Don't know how much Firewhisky those two had last night, but she has one hell of a hangover."

"No problem," Harry told him.

"Thanks, mate," Ron said. "I'll see you later then."

Just as Ron disapperated, Lily came into the room, still clutching her head.

"Here, sit down and I'll make you some eggs," Harry said, pulling out a chair for her.

"Thank you, daddy," Lily said weakly. "You're the best. I love you so much."

"Love you, too, sweetheart," Harry said, kissing the top of her head. "My punishment still stands, though."

"Come _on_ ," Lily muttered.


	24. Chapter 24

Hermione bolted up in bed, breathing heavily with sweat covering her body.

This was the fifth night this week alone that she had had the same nightmare: she was back in Malfoy Manner, Bellatrix Lestrange standing over her, firing the Cruciatus Curse at her over and over again, slowly carving into her skin with a dagger…

She glanced over at Ginny, who was thankfully still fast asleep in her own bed across the room. She slowly got up and pulled on her dressing gown and stepped out of the room. Her first thought was to go up to Ron's room. The two of them had grown even closer since the war had ended, officially entering a new, romantic relationship between one another. Hermione had enjoyed every moment of it so far, and though it had only been two months, she honestly didn't know how she could've gone so long without him.

But Hermione knew that if she were to wake Ron, he would only worry. She didn't want to pile even more onto his plate at the moment when he was already going through so much. He was dealing with the death of his brother, beginning Auror training…

So she turned and headed down the stairs. She expected to find an empty living room waiting for her, but she was surprised to instead find Harry.

He was sitting on the couch, staring off out the window.

"Harry?" Hermione whispered, approaching him.

Harry looked slightly startled. "Hermione? What are you doing up?"

"I could ask you the same thing," Hermione said, giving him a small smile as she sat down next to him.

Harry returned his gaze out the window. "Couldn't sleep…same nightmare's been keeping me awake all week."

"It has?" Hermione said softly.

"I just keep seeing them all," Harry muttered. "Lined up in the Great Hall…everybody that died. Lupin, Tonks, Fred, Collin…sometimes…sometimes I've been seeing people who didn't die there too. You and Ron…Ginny."

"Harry-"

"Hermione, I already know what you're going to say," Harry said. "I can't just _block out my mind_ and have these things go away. Believe me, I've _tried._ "

"I know," Hermione said softly. "I know you can't."

Harry looked over at her.

"I've been having them too," Hermione admitted. "Ever since-"

"Malfoy Manner?" Harry finished slowly.

Hermione nodded, feeling tears welling in her eyes. "It's been worse since the war stopped. I thought they'd stop eventually, but they haven't. If anything they've gotten worse."

Harry gently put a comforting arm around her. "Have you told Ron?"

"No," Hermione sniffed. "No, I don't want him to worry. Besides, he's got enough to worry about without me bringing this to him."

"I doubt he'd mind," Harry said.

"Well have you told Ginny?" Hermione asked.

"Er, no," Harry said. "I don't want her to worry either."

The two sat in silence for a few moments.

"So this is how it's been for you?" Hermione asked finally. "All these years?"

"The visions were worse," Harry told her. "But yes, the nightmares…they're not fun."

Hermione stared down at her wrist, where the outline of the word 'Mudblood' was still clearly etched in her skin.

"And do they ever stop?" Hermione asked, her voice cracking.

"Yes," Harry said firmly. "They do. That summer after Cedric died, there wasn't a night where I didn't get woken up by nightmares of what happened in that graveyard. But slowly, as time went on, they stopped. They come back, from time to time, but they do get better, Hermione."

Hermione wiped her eyes silently.

Harry reached over and gently took her hand. "I promise," he assured her.


	25. Chapter 25

"Albus, this is just wonderful!" Ginny beamed, throwing her arms around her youngest son. "A _Prefect_?"

"Yeah, Albus, congratulations," Harry smiled, clasping his son's shoulder. "We're very proud of you."

"Yes, you've _really_ brought honor to the family name, Al," James sneered, rolling his eyes as he took a bit of his toast. "I reckon nobody knew who the Potters were before, but now that you've been made a _Prefect-_ "

"James, don't you start," Ginny warned, narrowing her eyes.

"Don't know why they would've made me a Prefect," Albus said, looking down at the gold badge he had just received in the mail with his book list.

"Because you're a model student," Ginny told him. "You deserve this, Albus."

"You get to use the nice bathrooms now," Lily commented. "Victoire told me the bath is the size of a swimming pool."  
"Big deal," James scoffed. "I've been using that bathroom since last year, when I was made Quidditch captain. Only I didn't have to sell my dignity to use it."

"Being made Prefect doesn't mean you're selling your dignity, James," Harry said, rolling his eyes.

"Quite the opposite, really," Ginny agreed. "We'll have to do something to celebrate. You're off from work tonight, aren't you dear? Why don't we all go out for dinner at one of those nice muggle restaurants?"

"That sounds good," Harry agreed. "We can go to that one with the cakes Albus likes."

"Really? Cool!" Albus grinned.

"Does this mean I don't have to stick to curfew anymore?" Lily asked. "You can just get me out of trouble now, Al!"

"Where are you sneaking off to after curfew?" Harry frowned.

"Nowhere," Lily said quickly, suddenly becoming quite interested in her porridge.

"I wouldn't count on Albus helping you bend any rules, Lil," James told her. "He wouldn't want to tarnish his reputation as a _Slytherin Prefect_."

"That's quite enough out of you," Ginny said firmly. "If I hear another word out of your mouth about the matter, I'll take your broomstick for a month. I don't care if your Quidditch captain or not."

"Fine, whatever," James muttered, leaning back in his chair. "I don't care enough about it anyway."

…..

"Well this is good news, isn't it?" Fred asked as him and Louis sat up in James' bedroom. "With Al as a Prefect, we can get away with whatever we like."

"Rose has been made one as well," Louis grinned. "Between the two of them, we can have full run of the castle!"

"You know Rosie's not going to go for that," Fred pointed out.

"I suppose you're right," Louis sighed. "Dominique and Victoire were just as bad when they were made Prefects. But Albus is cool, he'll be different."

"I doubt it," James said, rolling his eyes. "You should've seen how _proud_ he looked when he got his badge. Bet you he wore it pinned onto his pajamas last night."

"Ah well, suppose we'll just have to keep our mischief making hidden as usual then," Fred shrugged. "Anyway, I should get going. Promised dad I'd help him take inventory in the shop. Speaking of which, he wants the three of us to test out some new products, so come by the shop sometime this week."

"Alright," James nodded.

"I've got to go too," Louis said. "We're having a bunch of curse breakers over for dinner tonight, and mum's been on my case about cleaning my room up for them. Don't see why…we're not eating up there."

"See you later," James said to them.

Deciding there was nothing more to do in his room, James stepped out and wandered down the hall. He stopped at his younger brother's room, where the door was opened. He peered inside and saw Albus standing at his dresser, polishing his Prefect's badge admiringly.

"Seriously?" James scoffed. "You've had it less than twenty-four hours. I _think_ it's still clean, Al."

"I was just…checking," Albus muttered, his face flushing red.

"You know, it's probably pretty easy to be made a Prefect when you're in Slytherin," James said. "Most of them are complete gits. You just have to be half decent and you're gold."

"That's not true!"

"Oh, so you _don't_ have to be decent?" James grinned.

"Shut it!" Albus snapped.

"Or what? You're going to go running to mum and dad?" James asked, rolling his eyes. "You can get practice; that'll be you number one job as a Prefect, right? Tattling on all the students?"

"Why do yo have to be such a prat?" Albus frowned. "This is the _one_ thing I've managed to do that's actually somewhat impressive at Hogwarts. You've got a ton of things going for you, so why can't you just leave this alone?"

"What are you talking about?" James scoffed.

" _You're_ the Quidditch star," Albus fumed. " _You're_ the one who's popular. _You're_ the one who's brilliant at magic. I don't have any of that; but I finally have this, and you just _have_ to ruin it, don't you?"

And with that Albus turned and slammed his bedroom door shut, leaving James standing stunned in the hall.

….

The next morning, James headed into the kitchen for breakfast. To his surprise, only Albus was sitting at the table, finishing off a piece of toast. The two boys hadn't spoken since the previous day.

"Are you the only one here?" James frowned.

"Mum and dad both left for work already," Albus replied. "Lily's still asleep."

"Ah," James said, clearing his throat awkwardly.

"They said we're going to Diagon Alley when they get home tonight to pick up our school things," Albus muttered. "So be ready."

"Alright," James nodded. He poured himself a glass of juice and sat down at the table. The two brothers sat in silence.

"It's not true, you know," James finally muttered, staring down at the table.

"What?" Albus frowned.

"What you said yesterday," James said, still looking anywhere but his brother's eyes. "About not having anything going for you before you got that Prefect's badge. You um, you had plenty of things going for you before that."

Albus stared at his brother, confused.

"You um, you're really good at Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures and all that outdoorsy stuff," James continued. "Overheard Hagrid telling some of the teachers one time that you were the most impressive student he's ever had. And you _are_ impressive at magic…you're the only one who can cast a Bat-Bogey hex as powerful as mum's; I've seen you do it whenever one of the other Slytherin's calls somebody a mudblood. And, well, I guess you're not exactly the _best_ Quidditch player, but you're pretty decent with a muggle football, that's pretty cool. And-"

"James," Albus said, cutting him off. "You can stop, I get it. This is getting weird…"

"Yeah, I know," James said, breathing a sigh of relief. "Anyway, um…look, I'm going to deny this if you ever repeat this, but I the reason I gave you a hard time about being made Prefect was because I was sort of, um, jealous, alright?"

"Jealous?" Albus repeated, a grin forming on his face.

"Careful…" James warned. "But um, yeah, I suppose I was."

" _You_ were jealous of _me_?" Albus said, looking positively delighted.

"I have six months until I turn of age and can turn your hands to tentacles whenever I please, so unless you'd like me to start jotting down all of the revenge I need to get on you come February-"

"Alright, alright," Albus said, still grinning.

"And just so you know," James said. "If you try to do something stupid like take house points from me or give me a detention, I _will_ lock you in a broom cupboard," James said, finishing off his juice and getting to his feet. "Don't care if I lose my broomstick for a year. You got it?"

"Got it," Albus nodded.


	26. Chapter 26

"These morning practices are going to be the death of me," Ginny moaned as she pointed her wand at the blaring alarm clock on her bedside table, silencing the noise. "Five in the morning is far too early to be awake."

"Skive off then," Harry yawned, snaking his arms around her waist and pulling her against him. "We'll have a nice lie in."

"Are you planning on missing work as well, Mr. Auror?" Ginny smirked.

"Don't have anything to do besides paperwork today," Harry said.

"Mmmm," Ginny smiled. "And when Gwen chews my head off for missing practice, what am I supposed to give her as an excuse? Would you like me to tell her my stunningly sexy husband coerced me into staying in bed all morning?"

"You could," Harry said innocently.

"I'm sure _that_ wouldn't lose me a starting spot during our match this weekend," Ginny smirked, slowly sitting up. She leaned down and gave him a quick kiss. "I've got to go. Sorry to wake you, love. Go ahead back to sleep."

"Alright," Harry sighed, disappointed.

As Ginny stepped out of bed, she felt a sudden wave of nausea as soon as her feet hit the floor. She bolted into the bathroom, barely making it in time as she vomited the entire contents of her stomach into the toilet.

"Here," Harry said, hurrying into the bathroom with her. He pulled back her hair and handed her a cloth to wipe her mouth.

"Thanks," Ginny mumbled.

"I thought you said that stomach virus you had passed," Harry frowned. "This is the third morning you've been sick."

"I thought it _had_ passed," Ginny sighed. "I don't know what's going on."

"Well, maybe you _should_ skip practice today then," Harry suggested.

"No, I can't do that," Ginny said, getting to her feet. "We're playing the Nifflers on Saturday, and they've been in top-form this season. And the team healer is coming in to perform physicals; can't miss that. Besides, I feel much better now. Maybe it was just something I ate last night."

"You mean that stew I attempted?" Harry grinned.

"Yes, perhaps it's best if you see mum for cooking lessons if you ever get the urge to cook again," Ginny smiled, throwing her hair into a ponytail and grabbing her Quidditch bag. "Anyway, I'll see you tonight. We have Teddy for the evening, don't we?"

"Yup, I'm picking him up from Andy's after work," Harry nodded.

"Hopefully he's still awake by the time I get home," Ginny said. "I have a feeling this is going to be a long day."

"Good luck," Harry said, kissing her. "Love you."

"Love you too," Ginny replied, kissing him back.

…

"Vicky's dad said that he'd take me, her, and Dom to visit Uncle Charlie this weekend," Teddy told Harry as Harry handed him a mug of hot chocolate. "But he said I have to ask gran first. You think she'll let me go?"

"Probably," Harry said. "She's let you visit the dragon reserves before. It sounds like fun."

"Vicky says it's because her mum wants to rest," Teddy continued. "Because she's going to have baby Louis any day now."

"That's right," Harry smiled. "Are Vicky and Dom excited to meet their baby brother?"

"They said they wish they were getting another sister, but they're still happy," Teddy shrugged.

"I don't think Bill can handle anymore girls," Harry chuckled. "He's outnumbered enough as it is."

Just then Harry and Teddy heard the front door open and a second later, Ginny walked into the room.

"Hi, Ginny!" Teddy said, running over to hug her, his hair turning bright red to match hers.

"Hey there, Teddy," Ginny said, wrapping her arms around the boy. "Have you been having fun with Harry?"

"Yeah, we went to the playground," Teddy nodded.

"There's dinner in the kitchen for you," Harry said, giving her a quick peck. "Don't worry; I didn't cook it. I picked up sandwiches from the new place in Diagon Alley. Oh, and I have a mug of hot chocolate warming up for you."

"You're the best," Ginny said gratefully.

"How was practice today?" Harry asked.

"It was…interesting," Ginny said slowly.

"Interesting?" Harry repeated.

"Yes," Ginny nodded, glancing at Teddy.

Harry got the message, and changed the subject. "Alright, Teddy, you've got an hour left before bedtime. What would you like to do?"

"Patronus tag!" Teddy exclaimed at once.

"You got it," Harry nodded, pulling out his wand and casting his stag patronus. Teddy let out a laugh as he began to run out to the yard, the patronus running after him.

…..

"He's quite a good reader now, you know," Harry commented later that evening, coming into the couple's bedroom. "Course, now he likes to read the book once himself, and then have me read it, so it takes him twice as long to get to sleep."

"Hermione will be pleased to see that next time she comes round," Ginny smiled.

"I know," Harry agreed, sitting down on the bed next to her. "So…are you going to tell me about your 'interesting' practice now? How are you shaping up for the Niffler game?"

"I won't be playing in that match, actually," Ginny said.

" _What_?" Harry exclaimed. "They don't have you starting? That's mad; you're the best Chaser on the team! In the _league_! Is this because you were a little late today? That's completely unfair-"

"I'm actually not going to be playing for the rest of the season," Ginny cut him off.

"The whole season?" Harry sputtered. "That's-"

"I'm not being punished for anything," Ginny told him quickly. "You-You remember me telling you that the team healer was going to be coming by today to check everyone out to make sure they were fit to play?"

"Yes," Harry nodded. "Wait…There isn't something wrong, is there?"

"No," Ginny said. "Nothing's _wrong_."

"Well then I don't understand," Harry said. "Why on earth won't they let you play then?"

"The league has a strict policy against player playing while they're pregnant, you see," Ginny said simply. "The liabilities are endless."

"But you're not-" Harry started, but as he caught sight of Ginny's face, his eyes widened in shock. "Ginny…are you-"

"We're having a baby, Harry," Ginny beamed, a huge grin breaking out across her face.

Harry's jaw dropped. "We-We-A baby!"

He threw his arms around Ginny, kissing her deeply.

"A baby!" Harry said, still completely shocked. "We-I can't believe this, Ginny!"

"I know," Ginny said. "I had no idea…though I suppose looking back all the signs were there. And I know we were planning on waiting a few more years before we had kids but I'm just so excited for this, Harry."

"So am I," Harry nodded. "I don't care if we didn't plan for this right now, I just-We're going to be a family. A _family_. Wow…"

"You'll be a father," Ginny smiled, putting her arms around Harry. "And I'll be a mother. And Teddy will be a big brother…We need to tell him first, before anybody else."

"Course," Harry nodded, running his fingers through his hair. "A baby…this is-Ginny…"

"You look like you took a bludger to the head," Ginny said, amused. She took his hand and moved it onto her abdomen. "Can you believe our son or daughter is really in there?"

Harry stared down at his wife's stomach, feeling a rush of emotions he had never experienced before.

"I knew I'd be excited, whenever we found out we were going to have kids," Harry said softly. "But I didn't expect it to feel like this…I imagine this is what it feels like if you swallowed a goblet of Felix Felicis."

Ginny laughed. "I know, this feeling is better than anything I could've imagined. Though I suppose I'll have to get used to being sick every morning. Fleur said she had to go through it up until the very end. Same with Audrey."

"Wish I could help you there," Harry said sympathetically. "I'll wake up with you every morning, though. I promise. Whatever you need, I'll do it."

"I'm going to hold you to that, Ginny smirked. "You'll be eating those words when I'm waking you at three in the morning to go to the store to buy me crisps in a few months."

"I won't mind one bit," Harry told her. "You can be as demanding as you like."


	27. Chapter 27

"She's not very fun, yet," three-year old James said to his cousin Fred, as the two boys looked down at Lily, who was fast asleep in her cot. "Mum and dad said that that's how all babies are when they're first born, though."

"Is that how Al was?" Fred asked.

"I don't remember," James shrugged.

"Roxanne just lies around and sleeps a lot too," Fred said. "It's so boring. But mum and dad think it's the best thing in the world."

"Grown ups are weird," James said, shaking his head. "Hey, let's go play with my new toy quaffle! It'll be way better than just watching Lily sleep."

"I can't, mum and dad said we're leaving in a minute to go visit my grandmum and grandpa," Fred sighed.

"Oh, I'll ask mummy if I can go see them too," James said. "I can bring the quaffle with me and we can play at the Burrow."

"I'm not going to see grandma and grandpa Weasley," Fred said. "I'm going to see my other grandmum and grandpa."

"What do you mean?" James frowned. "You have _two_ grandmums and grandpas?"

"Yeah," Fred nodded.

"Whoa! How come you get two?" James asked.

"Everybody has two, don't they?" Fred shrugged.

"I don't," James said. "At least I don't think I do."

"Ask your parents, maybe you just haven't met them yet or something," Fred said.

"Maybe," James said thoughtfully.

Just then George walked into the room, carrying baby Roxanne in his arms. Angelina and Harry were right behind him.

"Fred, you ready? We've got to head out," Angelina said.

"Alright," Fred said.

"You should bring the kids by the shop tomorrow," George told Harry. "We're overstocked on Wiz-Bangs, so I'm going to set off the extra ones during lunch."

"Maybe just bring the boys by," Angelina said. "It may be too loud for Lily. I'm going to keep Roxanne at home during it."

"Sounds fun," Harry grinned. "We'll be there."

"Brilliant, see you then," George said, taking Fred's hand. "You and Al are in for a treat, James; maybe in a few years you can be setting off some of your own."

"Really?" James said excitedly.

"Ginny will murder you if you let that happen," Harry chuckled.

"Fair point," George said. He looked down at James and winked. "Means we just won't let your mum find out. Well, we're off! Bye then!"

And with that, the family disapperated out of the Potter's living room.

"Now I'm bored," James moaned as Harry walked over to Lily's cot and checked on her.

"What do you mean you're bored? You spent the entire afternoon playing with Fred," Harry said.

"But now he's gone," James said simply. "Can you take me over to see Louis?"

"He's in France with the rest of his family," Harry replied.

"Where's Teddy?" James asked.

"Out for dinner with his grandmother," Harry said.

"Fine, I suppose I'll play with Al then," James sighed.

"Your brother is still napping," Harry said.

"So I have _no one_ to play with?" James frowned.

"Well, if you'll settle for playing with your dad, I suppose we can go for a ride on my broomstick," Harry grinned.

"Really?" James said eagerly.

"We'll have to wait until mummy gets back so she can watch your brother and sister, though," Harry said.

"Okay," James nodded.

"In the meantime, I need to wax the broomstick," Harry said. "Care to help me?"

"Yeah," James said. He found anything to do with a broomstick fascinating.

Harry quickly ran out to the broom shed to retrieve his broomstick and a bottle of Wakefield's Broomcare Wax.

"Here, make sure to spread it around this time," Harry said, handing him a cloth with the wax on it.

"Will this make the broom go faster?" James asked.

"A bit," Harry said.

"Whoa," James said anxiously. "When's mummy gonna be home? I want to go now!"

"She's just visiting your grandmum and grandpa," Harry said. "I'm sure she'll be home shortly."  
"Hey!" James said, suddenly remembering his conversation with Fred. "How come you never take me to see my other grandma and grandpa?"

"W-What?" Harry frowned.

"I've only met one of each," James pouted. "Fred says he has two grandmums and two grandpas. Was he just teasing?"

"No…" Harry said slowly. "He was right."

"Well don't I have more?" James asked, confused.

Harry sighed, setting down his broomstick. "Do you understand what a grandparent is, James?"

"They're nice and they give you food and toys," James said. "And sweaters."

Harry gave a small chuckle. "Well, sure. But a grandparent is the parent of _your_ parents. You have two parents, so that's why you have two sets of grandparents. Grandmum and Grandpa are mummy's parents."

"Oh," James said. "Well how come we don't see _your_ mum and dad, daddy? Don't you like them?"

Harry gave a sad smile. "I'd love for them to meet you, Jamie."

"Well then why don't they?" James asked.

"They can't," Harry said. "They died. Years ago, before you were even though of. I was even younger Albus when it happened."

"They died?" James repeated, confused. "Like how Fang died? And Uncle Haggy was super sad?"

"Yes," Harry nodded. "Like that."

"But-But then who took care of you when you were little?" James asked.

"You know Dudley, don't you? You've met him once or twice," Harry said. "I was brought to live with him and his parents. His mother was my mum's sister."

"Were they nice to you?" James asked.

Harry bit the corner of his mouth thoughtfully. "They let me live with them," Harry said slowly. "That's all."

"Do you miss them, though?" James asked. "Your own mum and dad?"  
"Every day," Harry nodded.

"I wish I could've met them," James frowned.

"You can see them, if you like," Harry told his son.

"I can?"

Harry got up and headed to the shelf next to the fireplace. He picked up a small, leather book and sat back down next to James.

"Here," Harry said, pointing to a picture of Lily and James Potter beaming and waving up at their son and grandson. "That's them."

"That's you, isn't it?" James said, looking at the picture.

Harry laughed. "I suppose we really _do_ look alike, don't we? But that's really them…your other set of grandparents."

James stared down at awe.

"You're named after my father, you know?" Harry said. "He's named James as well."

"Really?" James exclaimed. "Cool!"

"We named your sister after my mum," Harry continued. "Lily…"

"They look nice," James said.

"They were," Harry said. "Everybody has always told me that."

"How come they died, though?" James asked. "Did they get sick like Fang did?"

"Well, no," Harry said carefully. "See…years ago, there was a very bad wizard. He hurt a lot of people, including my parents."

"What did he-"

"I'll tell you more when you're older," Harry said, cutting him off. "You're a bit too young now."

James continued to look at the photo. "I really wish I could have met them," he said quietly.

Harry put his arm around James, pulling his son closer to him. "I know. I wish you could have too."


	28. Chapter 28

Ron sat at his desk in the Auror office, his hands clenched together. He was still dripping in sweat, and there was dried blood on the cracks of his hands.

"Ron?" Harry said softly, sitting down in the empty chair next to Ron. "Ron, can you hear me?"

"That bloke was only eighteen," Ron said, his voice shaking. "How could someone do all that when they were only eighteen? He was barely of age."

"He got caught up in the Dark Arts from an early age," Harry said. "It-It happens."

"Still, he was young," Ron said, his eyes glassy. "He-He could've gotten himself out of it. He could've walked away…he could've gone on to do something better with his life."

"Ron-"

"But I killed him," Ron said, his voice hardly more than a whisper. "He's dead because of me."

"Ron, don't do this," Harry said firmly to his best friend. "He had killed four other people. He had two other Aurors wandless and cornered. If you hadn't stepped in-"

"I could've stunned him," Ron said, cutting Harry off. "Or disarmed him. I didn't have to kill him."

"He was a skilled wizard," Harry said. "If you had done anything besides kill him the our death toll would've been far higher. You were a hero out there, Ron."

"He had parents," Ron said, his voice still hallow. "Siblings…I took him from them."

"Ron, listen to me," Harry said. "You did what you had to do. I-I know you don't see it right now, but there was no other way that all could have ended without more innocent people getting killed."

Ron didn't reply.

"Come on, I'm taking you home," Harry said. "You can side-along apperate with me; I don't think you're in any state to go yourself."

Ron didn't argue as Harry helped him to his feet. The two walked in silence to the Ministry's disapperation point. Harry took Ron's arm and within a second the two had left the Ministry and appeared in the kitchen of Ron and Hermione's shared loft.

"Ron! Harry!" Hermione exclaimed, slightly startled, jumping up from where she had been sitting at the table. "You're back from the mission!"

She rushed over and threw her arms around Ron. Almost instantly, though, she sensed something was wrong.

"Ron?" she frowned as she pulled away.

Ron didn't say anything as he moved away from Hermione and sat down at the table, putting his head in his hands.

Hermione looked at Harry, her face filled with confusion and concern.

"I'll leave you two alone," Harry told her. "You're the one he needs right now."

"Ron?" Hermione whispered, sitting down next to him as Harry disapperated. "What happened?"

"You know we were out to capture Benjamin Craigen, right?" Ron muttered.

"Yes, he's been trying to start his own movement within the Dark Arts for months now," Hermione nodded. "Did-Did he escape?"

"No," Ron said gruffly. "I killed him."

"You killed him?" Hermione repeated. "Oh Ron, I'm sure you had no choice. He-He's hurt so many people-"

"He was only a year younger than us," Ron told her. "He was just a kid! He had a _family_! Because of me, his mother and father are going to watch their son be buried!"

"Ron, you did what you had to-"

"Stop, quit saying that," Ron said firmly. "It's what Harry kept saying too. It doesn't change anything!"

"Ron, listen, Craigen's parents were brought into the Ministry while you were on your mission," Hermione told him gently. "They were trying to help us catch him. They did love their son, but…they said that they knew he was gone. He was too far immersed in the Dark Arts. They're not going to blame you for what happened."

She wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders.

"I just don't get it," Ron said, tears falling from his eyes. "Why would he throw his life away like that? He-He didn't have some traumatic childhood…No one else in his family was involved in the Dark Arts...He was a brilliant wizard, so why would he waste all of that?"

"Some people are just drawn to the Dark Arts," Hermione said softly. "It's horrible, but…"

Ron shook his head. "Hermione…I-I can't do this. I'm sick of it. I'm sick of seeing all of this! I don't know how Harry does it without losing his head."

"Ron-"

"Every time we go out on a mission, and we face these wizards who-who've done these unthinkable things, I-I feel sick," Ron said, ignoring Hermione. "It was supposed to be done, after Voldemort! How can there still be so much evil out there? I-I just-"

"Ron," Hermione said, gripping his hands. "Ron, you're a brilliant Auror. Nothing that happened during this mission was your fault. You deserved to be offered this position, and you've done so much good while you've been in it. But Ron…I-I think you need to leave the Auror office."

Ron stared at her. "You mean quit?"

"Ron, I-I've seen this job starting to ware you down," Hermione said, her own voice beginning to shake. "More and more lately. I _love_ you, and it-it kills me to see you like this. You're fully capable of being an Auror…but I don't think it's what you want anymore."

Ron slowly shook his head. "No…it's not."

"Leaving doesn't make you weak," Hermione continued. "It means you're strong enough to walk away before you destroy yourself."

Ron locked eyes with Hermione. "You really think I should hand in my badge?"

"I think you should do whatever is going to make you the happiest," Hermione said. "This isn't about what I want, Ron. It's about _you_."

Ron nodded, squeezing Hermione's hand back. "I want to leave," he said after a moment. "I'm done being an Auror."

….

The next morning, Ron apperated onto the doorstep of Harry and Ginny's home. He knocked quickly, and a second later Harry opened the door, looking rather surprised to see him.

"Hi," he said, letting him in.

"Hey," Ron said, clearing his throat awkwardly.

"You want some coffee or something?" Harry asked as him and Ron stepped into the kitchen. "Ginny just made a pot."

"No, I'm fine," Ron said.

Ginny, who had been washing dishes at the sink, looked over at her brother.

"Good morning," Ginny said, and Ron could tell by her tone that Harry had told her about what happened on the mission.

"Morning," Ron muttered.

"Um…think I'll go get ready for practice," Ginny said, sensing that Ron wanted to talk to Harry privately. She turned to Harry. "I'll see you tonight then."

"Alright," Harry nodded, giving her a quick kiss as she left the kitchen. He turned back to Ron. "So…do-do you want to hang around here today? Um, we could-"

"No, um, I-I just came by to tell you something," Ron said. "Something important."

"Okay," Harry nodded, sitting down across from him. "What is it?"

Ron took a deep breath. "I'm leaving the Auror office."

Harry looked taken aback. "You-You what?"

"I'm sorry," Ron muttered. "But…I-I can't do this anymore. I'm tired of being surrounded by the Dark Arts, it's-it's too much. I'm not built for this, I'm really not."

"Wow," Harry said, slightly stunned.

"I'm sorry," Ron said again.

"Ron, don't," Harry said. "Listen, I get it. You can't force yourself to do something if it's making you miserable. "If you need to leave…you need to leave."

Ron nodded. "I need to."

"You were a bloody brilliant Auror, mate," Harry said sincerely.

"Thanks," Ron said gratefully. "Good luck out there, Harry."

"What are you going to do now?" Harry asked.

"Don't know," Ron answered. "I suppose I'll have to think of something, though."

…..

A few days later, Ron was sitting at his flat, unsure of what to do with himself. Hermione was at work, so he was left alone. He had officially resigned from the Auror's office two days ago, and while he felt an unbelievable sense of relief, he did want to find something to do with himself soon.

Just then the flames in his fireplace began to glow green, and a second later George stumbled out, wiping soot off of his robes.

"Ah, there's my favorite unemployed brother," George grinned.

"I'm not unemployed," Ron snapped.

"Really? Well what time are you going to be off to work then?" George asked innocently.

Ron rolled his eyes. "Oh you're absolutely hilarious."

"Relax, I'm only teasing," George said. "But speaking of your current jobless status, I have a bit of a proposition for you."

Ron looked at him curiously. "What?"

"Well, Angelina got the news last night that she's officially off the reserve team of Puddlemore United and will be a starting Chaser this season," George said.

"That's great," Ron said.

"Isn't it?" George nodded. "Course, that does mean I'm now going to be short-staffed at the shop now. And with all the new products that I've been putting out, the shop's been overflowing with more customers than I can handle from open till close. So, if you haven't had any better offers, I was wondering if you'd like to come on with me."

"You mean work in the shop?" Ron said.

"Yeah, you know, help me with customers, inventory, mail orders…things like that," George said. "Maybe if you have any ideas for new products that aren't completely awful, you can tell me those as well, too."

Ron thought for a moment. Working in a joke shop, filled with laughter, where the Dark Arts wouldn't be hanging over his head every second…it was the complete opposite from what he had been doing at the Auror's office.

"You can take a few days to sit on it, if you like," George told him. "Just let me know once you've-"

"I'll take the job," Ron said.

George raised an eyebrow. "Yeah?"

"Yes," Ron nodded. "It sounds wonderful."

"Oh…okay then," George said. "Well, you start immediately, so get moving; you're already late. I wont' have any of this unprofessional nonsense at my high-end joke shop, you know."


	29. Chapter 29

"Harry, what is James trying to do?" Ron frowned, watching his nephew worm around on the floor near all of his toys.

"He's been trying to sit up by himself for the past few days," Harry chuckled. "He's nearly got it; watch."

After a few seconds, James had managed to get halfway into a sitting position before tumbling back onto his back, laughing hysterically.

"He can do that for hours," Harry grinned.

"Won't be long before he's up and walking on his own, getting into everything around here," Ron smirked.

"I know," Harry sighed. "He already gets into enough stuff as it is."

"What are you two doing in here?" Ginny asked, coming into the living room with Hermione.

"Watching James try to sit up on his own," Ron replied. "It's pretty funny."

"I bet you he gets it by the end of the week," Ginny said, smiling at Harry.

Spotting Hermione, James held his arms out, cooing happily.

"He adores you," Ron commented as his wife immediately picked him up.

"Yeah, he really does," Harry nodded.

"Well I adore him as well," Hermione smiled, ticking James' stomach.

"Are you okay to watch James by yourself tonight, by the way?" Ginny asked Harry. "Hermione and I were going to go and get tea with Luna."

"Sure," Harry nodded. "Have fun."

"We should probably get going then," Ginny said, turning to Hermione.

"Oh, right," Hermione said, gently handing James off to Harry, rustling his dark hair affectionately.

"I'll see you at home, Ron," she said, giving him a short kiss. "Bye, Harry."

"Bye, Jamie, be a good boy for daddy and Uncle Ron," Ginny said, kissing her son.

"Are you going to be hanging around here tonight then?" Harry asked as Hermione and Ginny disapperated. "James should fall asleep within an hour or so. We can play a round of chess or something then."

"Fine, although I've got to say, mate, you've only gotten more and more pathetic at chess over the years," Ron pointed out. "You're nearly as bad as Hermione now."

"Thanks," Harry grinned. Just then James began to fuss in Harry's arms.

"Do you think he hurt himself when he was trying to sit up a few minutes ago?" Ron asked, concerned.

"No, he's just hungry," Harry said, getting to his feet and handing James off to Ron. "Watch him a second, will you? I'll go get him a bottle."

Ron stared down at his nephew, who had calmed down slightly.

"I know, it's not a good feeling, being hungry, is it?" Ron said.

James let out a series of incoherent babbles, causing Ron to chuckle.

"I'll take that as a no," Ron said.

"Alright, here you are, James," Harry said, returning with a bottle.

James face lit up at the sight of his dinner, letting out a happy sigh as Harry began to feed him.

"I can't believe he's been here four months already," Ron commented.

"I know," Harry nodded.

Ron thought for a moment. "Can I ask you something?"

"What?" Harry asked.

"Well…when did you and Ginny decide to have him?" Ron asked.

"Er, truth be told, we didn't exactly plan to have him," Harry admitted slowly.

"Thought the two of you always wanted kids?" Ron frowned.  
"We did," Harry said quickly. "But the plan was to wait for Ginny to play at least another few years on the Harpies. But um, that-that sort of didn't happen."

"Right," Ron nodded, clearing his throat.

"Why are you asking about that?" Harry questioned.

"Well, I, um, I sort of think I'm ready to, you know, have kids of my own," Ron said.

"Really? Well that's great news," Harry said.

"The thing is, though, I haven't exactly brought this up to Hermione," Ron said.

"Why not?" Harry asked. "Does she not want kids?"

"She's mentioned a few times," Ron shrugged. "But we haven't ever sat down and seriously discussed it."

"Ah," Harry nodded, gently removing the bottle from James' mouth. "Well, you know, she _will_ be playing a rather big part in you two having kids…You should probably mention that you're ready so she at least knows."

"Fair point," Ron agreed. "I suppose I wouldn't mind waiting if that's what she wants. She did just get that promotion at work."

"Just put it out there on the table," Harry said, burping James.

"Yeah…" Ron said. "You know, Hermione wanted us to go to dinner tomorrow night. Said she wanted us to have a nice night together…suppose I could bring it up then."

"There you go," Harry said. "Now then, if you're planning on having kids, you should probably start getting more practice dealing with them, and it just so happens that it smells like James needs a diaper change-"

"Nice try," Ron told him.

…..

That evening, as Ron sat on his and Hermione's bed, he kept thinking about the prospect of being a father. To raise a child with Hermione…well, he could think of nothing he wanted more in the world.

"Luna and Rolf are planning on having their wedding in Spain, you know?" Hermione said, coming out of the adjoining bathroom and settling down on the couple's bed. "Won't that be nice? I've always wanted to go, and now we'll have a reason."

"Yes, but why Spain?" Ron asked.

"There's a beautiful ranch there that apparently has a large population of Frackle-Frogs," Hermione said.

"Er, what?"

"No clue," Hermione sighed. "So, did you and Harry have a good night?"

"Yeah," Ron said. "Hey, you know James did the funniest thing while Harry was giving him a bath. Every time Harry would go to try and wash his hair, the little guy would throw big balls of soap suds right at Harry's face…it was great."

"He's such an adorable baby," Hermione smiled.

Ron nodded. Suddenly, he no longer wanted to wait even one more night to talk to Hermione about starting a family of their own.

"Hermione," Ron said. "I-I'd like to talk to you about something…Something important."

"Is everything alright?" Hermione frowned.

"Yes, it's not anything bad," Ron said quickly. "It's just…Okay look, I know we haven't exactly formally discussed this, but-but well I-I think I'm ready to start trying to have kids of our own."

Hermione blinked, clearly caught off guard. "You-You are?"

"I understand if you want to wait," Ron said quickly. "You're doing so well at the Ministry, I get that. But I just wanted to let you know how-how I feel."

"Oh," Hermione said, still looking rattled. "Well…Ron, the thing is…we're really not going to be able to _try_ for a baby right now."

"Right," Ron nodded, trying not to look too disappointed. "Because you want to wait a bit longer. That's alright, I-"

"Ron…actually, that's not it," Hermione said. "Waiting isn't the issue here."

"But…I thought you wanted children," Ron said slowly. "I thought-"

"I do want children," Hermione said quickly. "I mean…we can't _try_ to have a baby right now because, well…we've already succeeded."

Ron gave a confused look. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," Hermione said, a huge smile appearing on her face. "I'm pregnant, Ron. We're going to have a baby."

Ron looked as though he was hit in the face with a bludger. "You-You-Bloody hell!"  
He threw his arms around Hermione, kissing her senseless.

"I thought I might be," Hermione said, positively beaming when Ron pulled away from her. "I went down to the muggle pharmacy this morning and bought one of their tests and took it…it came back positive! I was going to tell you tomorrow night, that's why I wanted us to have a romantic night. We're going to be _parents_ Ron!"

"I can't believe it," Ron said, his cheeks beginning to hurt from smiling. "We-We'll have our child. We-Come here."

He pulled her back into his arms, pressing more kisses to her lips. "I love you so much…"

He gently placed a hand on Hermione's stomach, and leaned down and pressed a kiss there as well. "Both of you."


	30. Chapter 30

Lily Luna Potter was a very pretty girl. She was the spitting image of her mother, and once she became a teenager, boys began to take notice of her, turning their heads whenever she would walk by.

And Harry absolutely hated it.

"She's far too popular for her own good," Harry fumed to Ron as the two men walked along Diagon Ally, where Harry was glaring at the scene in front of him. Lily was standing outside Quality Quidditch Supplies, smiling and flipping her hair as she talked to a group of three boys.

"She takes after Ginny," Ron said, shaking his head.

"I know," Harry sighed. "It's bloody scary. Where are James and Albus? Ginny will throw a fit if I go over there and break that little gathering up, but the two of them can get away with it."

"Think they went down to see George at the shop with Hugo," Ron replied.

"Course they did," Harry said darkly, narrowing his eyes as the tallest boy in the group put his hand on Lily's shoulder. "Look at that slick git running his hands all over my daughter…You know, I bet I can get a good curse in from back here."

"Glad I don't have these problems with Rose," Ron said happily.

"What problems?"

Ron turned to see his sixteen-year old daughter walking over towards him and Harry, carrying an armload of new books she had just purchased.

"Oh, there you are, Rosie," Ron said. "Did you and mum finish up in Flourish and Blotts then?"

"Yes," Rose nodded. "Mum went with Aunt Fleur to buy new potion ingredients for Hugo. But what were you saying about me?"

"Oh, just rubbing it in Harry's face that I never have to deal with the stress of having boys flock over you like they do Lily," Ron said, smirking at his best friend.

Rose frowned. "You-You were?"

"That's it," Harry said, shaking his head in disgust as Lily flashed a grin to the boy with his arm around her. He moved his hair out of his eyes so his lightning bolt scar was very visible, and cleared his throat. "Oi! Lily Luna Potter! Come on, now, we need to go finish your school shopping!"

The boys surrounding Lily all turned and caught sight of Harry. Their eyes all widened in fear and they quickly hurried off in the other direction.

"Dad!" Lily fumed as she stormed across the ally towards her father. "That was completely uncalled for!"

"What was, sweetheart?" Harry asked innocently.

"You did that on purpose," Lily snapped. "You scared all those nice boys away! No one wants to date 'The Boy Who Lived's daughter; they're all terrified you'll curse them into oblivion. At this rate I won't have a boyfriend until I'm of age!"

"Nicely played," Ron chuckled as Lily stomped off towards the nearby robe shop.

"Normally I hate my kids being treated differently because I'm their dad," Harry grinned. "But this is the one exception."

…

"Rook to E-six," Hugo said confidently as him and Ron sat at their kitchen table, playing a game of chess.

"Nice try, Hugo," Ron chuckled. "But now I can just take said rook; you moved it right in front of my queen. Queen to E-six."

Ron's piece moved and quickly reduced Hugo's rook to a pile of dust.

"Sorry, son, had to do it," Ron explained. "Can't keep letting you just win. You need to-"

"Queen to D-two," Hugo said happily. "Check-mate, dad! I win!"

"What the-How did you do that?" Ron sputtered.

"I had to do it, dad," Hugo grinned. "Couldn't just let you win."

"Very funny," Ron muttered as Hugo headed out of the kitchen with a bounce in his step. A moment later, Hermione came in.

"Heard you just lost to Hugo," she smiled at her husband.

"Word travels fast," Ron said, rolling his eyes.

"You should be proud," Hermione said. "He learned everything he knows about the game from you."

"I suppose," Ron agreed.

"Anyway," Hermione said. "I was just upstairs, bringing Rose her laundry. She seems a little off. Did anything happen at Diagon Ally earlier?"

"Huh? No," Ron frowned. "No, nothing happened at all. Are you sure she's upset?"

"Of course I'm sure," Hermione snapped. "Come on, let's go talk to her. You know, I bet she's starting to stress about all her N.E.W.T. classes she's taking next year."

"You're probably right," Ron nodded, getting to his feet.

The couple headed up to their daughter's room. Hermione knocked at the door. "Rose? It's your dad and I. Can we come in?"

"Yes," Rose called back.

Rose was laying on her bed, absentmindedly tossing a quaffle up and down in the air.

"Getting in form for the new season, huh?" Ron asked, trying to lighten the mood.

Rose simply shrugged.  
"Rose, is everything okay?" Hermione asked, sitting down on her bed. "I know you're probably nervous about your classes starting in just a few weeks, but-"

"Am I pretty?" Rose blurted out. Ron and Hermione exchanged confused looks.  
"Of course you are," Ron said at once at the

"Yes, Rose, you're beautiful," Hermione nodded. "Absolutely beautiful. Why on earth would you question that?"

"Because dad said he doesn't have to worry about boys admiring me," Rose replied.

Hermione glared at Ron. " _What_?"

"What? No!" Ron said quickly. "No, I-I didn't mean-That's not exactly what I said-"

"You said you're glad you don't have to deal with boys flocking over me like they do Lily," Rose said.

" _Ron_!" Hermione hissed.

"Well I-I meant that as a compliment!" Ron said lamely.

"It's a compliment not to have boys fancy me?" Rose frowned, raising an eyebrow.

"Er, that-that's not what I mean," Ron said. "What I _meant_ was-"

"It's okay, dad, I'm not mad at you," Rose sighed. "I know it's true. I'm nowhere near as pretty as Lily, so why would any boy cast me a second look when she's around?"

"Rose, I'm sure just as many boys fancy you as they do Lily," Hermione said.

"Mum, no they don't," Rose said, rolling her eyes. "I'm covered in freckles, my hair is mess, my nose is completely off-centered…Boys want girls like Lily and Dominique and Victoire. Not girls like me."

"Oh, Rose," Hermione started. "That's-"

"Rose, that's got to be the biggest load or rubbish I've ever heard in my life," Ron said, cutting his wife off. "You have so many things about you that any bloke with half-a-wit would adore. You're the smartest student in your year for starters-"

"Yes, because boys are just _so_ attracted to intelligence," Rose scoffed.

"Your mum's brilliant mind is one of the things I love most about her," Ron replied, causing Hermione to blush.

"Fantastic, I'll wind up with someone like you," Rose snapped her voice dripping in sarcasm. "No thank you."

"Rose, look, I'm sorry for what I said," Ron said, choosing to ignore her comment. "It was wrong for me to say. And it was just plain _wrong_ because, well, of course I have to worry about idiotic boys with you. Especially… _him_."

"Who?" Hermione frowned.

"Don't make me say his name," Ron muttered.

"Oh, Scorpius?" Hermione smiled.

"What? Dad, Scorpius doesn't like me," Rose said, though her cheeks flushed slightly. "We're just friends."

"No, he likes you alright," Ron said heavily. "Drives me mad when I see him hanging around you. Always making sure he sits next to you, all those bloody owls he sends…according to Albus he even cheers for you when Gryffindor plays Slytherin in Quidditch."

"He does?" Rose smiled.

"Yes," Ron said, shaking his head sadly. "So, if it makes you feel better, I worry _plenty_ about you and boys. Been turning my hair gray, in fact."

"Oh," Rose said, still smiling. "Well alright then."

"Rose, please never forget how beautiful you are," Hermione said, kissing the top of her head.

"Thanks," Rose said. "Um, I-I think I'm going to go send an owl now…"

"What have I done?" Ron moaned as Rose hurried out of the room. "Hermione, I just practically pushed the two of them together!"

"So? Scorpius is a nice boy," Hermione said.

"He's a Malfoy!"

"He's nothing like his father was at his age," Hermione reasoned. "Harry's said it himself. He was upset when he realized that Scorpius and Al were friends, but now he's fine with it."

"Friends and _boyfriends_ are two different things," Ron snapped. "I could handle _friends_! Merlin…first my chess record gets shattered by a fourteen-year old, and now my daughter is going to be dating the spawn of Malfoy?"

"Yes, you've had a rough day," Hermione said, rolling her eyes as she put her arm around her husband. "You know…I think I know something that may make you feel much better…"

"Yeah?" Ron said, perking up at once. "Are you suggesting-"

"I think it's time we finally got around to reorganizing the study," Hermione said, getting to her feet. "I think if we really try, we can get that sixth bookshelf in there next to the desk. That will take your mind off of everything!"

…..


	31. Chapter 31

"Of all the-These people-How _dare_ they assume-Oh they're barking if they think for a moment-"

"Breathe, Vernon," Petunia said, handing her husband a large cup of coffee as they stared down at the bundle of blankets within the basket on their table.

When Petunia opened her front door that morning, she had gotten the surprise of a lifetime. Sitting on the doorstep was the nephew she had never met, fast asleep. She picked up the letter again, the one that had been sitting within the blankets of the basket, and read it over again:

 _Dear Mr. and Mrs. Dursley,_

 _I am saddened to inform you that on the evening of Halloween, a tragic event took place that took the life of James and Lily Potter. They were murdered by Lord Voldemort, the Darkest wizard of the age. When Lord Voldemort turned his wand to James and Lily's son, your nephew, Harry, a curious phenomenon occurred, and Harry was left very much alive, while Lord Voldemort was reduced to an inhuman state. Harry was saved that night due to the love Lily showed, when she refused to step away and allow her son to be murdered. However, he still is in danger. Lord Voldemort will rise again, and him and his followers will want to kill the boy once more. Lily's protection, however, can remain in place, so long as the place Harry calls home is shared by a blood-relative of his mother's._

 _Petunia, you wrote to me, many years ago, pleading that I let you come to Hogwarts to study magic alongside your sister. I still wish I could have granted your request, as I know how much it meant to you. Now, though, you have a chance to help our world. Let Harry stay with you; raise him as if he were your own son. As long as Harry stays safe, and can call your home his home, Petunia, Lily will not have died in vain._

 _Sincerely and eternally grateful,_

 _Albus Percival Wulfric Biran Dumbledore_

"What did that note say?" Vernon fumed, turning to his wife. "Let me see it!"

"They want us to keep him," Petunia said, quickly tucking the note away in the pocket of her dressing robe. "Lily and James are-are dead and he has no other family."

"Dead are they?" Vernon sneered. "Serves them right! Mixing themselves with that crowd!"

Petunia pursed her lips, feeling a pang within her chest.

"Quite right, Vernon," she whispered.

"Well we're not doing it!" Vernon said firmly. "No sir! These people think they can just drop an orphaned bastard onto our doorsteps and we'll take him in? He's going straight to the orphanage!"

 _As long as Harry stays safe,_ Dumbledore's words echoed in Petunia's head. _Lily will not have died in vain._

 _Lily….Lily, her younger sister…dead._

"It's absolutely outrageous!" Vernon continued to shout. "And I don't suppose they left a check to cover his cost of living did they? Some nerve on that lot, I tell you, Petunia!"

"Vernon, careful," Petunia said, glancing at Harry, who was beginning to stir in his basket from the yelling. "You're going to wake him."

Right on cue, Harry began to whimper.

"Let him cry, he's got to get used to it!" Vernon barked, heaving himself up to his feet. "He's going to be doing a lot of crying in that orphanage. Make the arrangements, Petunia. I'm going off to work; give Dudders a kiss goodbye for me."

Vernon gave Petunia a quick peck on the cheek before heading out of the kitchen, still muttering angrily under his breath.

Petunia glanced down at the crying child and let out a soft gasp.

 _His eyes_ …she noted. _Oh…he's got her eyes._

…

Later that evening, Vernon Dursley returned home from and walked into the kitchen, where Petunia was just putting dinner on the table.

"Closed the Brooks deal!" Vernon said happily. "I'll be getting a nice, fat bonus check in the post next week!"

"Congratulations, dear," Petunia smiled, kissing her husband.

"Proud of you dad, tyke?" Vernon beamed, rustling Dudley's hair as he sat in his highchair.

"No!" Dudley said, banging the tray of the highchair.

"Lively, isn't he?" Vernon chortled. He turned to sit down in his seat at the head of the table. He nearly tripped over his chair, though, as he spotted Harry in the corner of the kitchen, sitting in the basket he had arrived in.

"What the devil is he still doing here?" Vernon hissed. "You were supposed to dump him at the orphanage. Can they not come until tomorrow?"

"The orphanage won't take him," Petunia said.

"What?" Vernon exclaimed. "Why not?"

"Those horrible people already went and filled out all of the paper work to make us his legal guardians," Petunia tutted, shaking her head.

"They-Without our permission?" Vernon sputtered. "But-But we didn't sign anything!"

"They've must've forged our signatures," Petunia said. "I'm sure they have ways using that…you-know-what."

"Well we'll just tell the ruddy orphanage those forms were tampered with!" Vernon said.

"But what would we say, Vernon?" Petunia pointed out. "They'd want to know _who_ tampered with the forms. We could risk the whole town finding out about…you know."

Vernon frowned.

"And unfortunately, Mrs. Hanson down the road spotted the boy on our doorstep this morning," Petunia continued. "She's told the whole street we've adopted a new child. If we send him back now they'll all think we're horrible, won't they? People will talk for ages about it."

"Damn, you're right," Vernon said, shaking his head. "Well what do we do? We can't have one in this house!"

"I think," Petunia said slowly. "That we can stomp all that-that _magic_ out of him."

"Don't say that word!" Vernon snapped.

"Sorry, dear," Petunia said quickly. "But I think that we could do it. The only reason my-my sister couldn't stop her-you know-what, was because my parents _encouraged_ it…and so did awful boy."

"Hmmm," Vernon said thoughtfully. "You might be on to something there, Petunia. Hard, firm discipline…well it can work wonders, even on the most hopeless of cases. I don't suppose any of _those_ people would know anything about that."

"Of course not," Petunia said.

"Well…I suppose we have no choice then," Vernon said heavily. "He'll stay but…but we'll stamp out every ounce of _you-know-what_ in him."

"Right we will," Petunia nodded, sliding a plate in front of her husband.

…..

"Where are going to put the boy?" Vernon asked later that evening, as him and Petunia got ready for bed. "There's no room for him here! He's not going to be sharing a room with Dudley, I won't have it. And we can't give him the second bedroom either; that's where Dudley keeps his toys. Ah-ha! The cupboard!"

"Which cupboard?" Petunia asked.

"Under the stairs," Vernon said, grinning horribly.

"Will he-will he fit?" Petunia asked hesitantly.

"Course he will," Vernon said dismissively. "We'll move his cot in there first thing in the morning."

"Well…alright," Petunia nodded reluctantly.

Suddenly, a loud cry sounded from downstairs.

"Arg! See? Already causing trouble!" Vernon fumed. "He'll wake Dudley, he will!"

"I'll go see what's got him upset," Petunia said., getting out of the bed.

"Swift kick in the behind will shut him right up," Vernon told her as she left the room.

Petunia padded down into the living room, where Harry's small cot was set up near the windows. Petunia pulled her dressing gown closer to her body; it was awfully cold.

Harry was standing up, tears falling from his eyes as he looked up at his aunt.

"What?" Petunia said coldly. "What do you want? You've eaten enough, haven't you?"

"Mu-ee!" Harry said though his cries. "Da-ee!"

Petunia's scowl softened. _He doesn't know they're gone_ , she realized. _He must be terribly confused._

"Mu-ee!" Harry continued to cry, looking around, as though he expected to see his parents. "Da-ee! Pa-fo!"

"They're not coming back," Petunia said. "You can cry all you like, but they're gone."

Harry, still crying, reached his arms out to Petunia, desperate for some form of comfort.

Sighing, Petunia lifted the child out of the cot and began gently bouncing him up and down in her arms. Harry calmed down slightly, though he was still looking around the room.

Petunia studied him; she had never seen him in person. Lily sent a photo shortly after he was born, but Petunia had thrown it away before Vernon could get a chance to find it.

He looked just like James, that much she could tell. But his eyes…how could they be so much like hers? So green and bright and full of energy…

And without warning, it suddenly hit Petunia: Her sister was dead.

Never again would she see Lily…she would never get a chance to speak to her sister again. Any hope of rebuilding their relationship was gone, and for the rest of her life, she would have to live knowing that the last thing she had said to her younger sister was she was freak.

"I'm sorry, Lily," Petunia whispered, a stray tear falling from her eye. "I'm so sorry."


	32. Chapter 32

Harry felt himself suddenly jostled from his sleep, his eyes flying open. At first, he was thoroughly confused as to why he was awake. He felt fine, and he hadn't been having any sort of intense dream…And then he felt a kick in his leg, and he understood the reason he was awake. He sleepily placed his glasses on his face and turned to look at Ginny next to him. He frowned as he saw her frantically tossing underneath the covers, with little beads of sweat covering her forehead. They had only moved in together a few weeks ago, and Harry had never seen her like this.

"Ginny," Harry whispered. "Ginny! Wake up, Ginny, you're having a nightmare."

He gently shook her shoulder, causing her eyes to open at once. She bolted up in the bed, breathing heavily.

"Ginny," Harry said softly, very concerned at this point. "Ginny, what is it?"

Ginny didn't respond, as she kept breathing heavily.

Harry scrambled to his feet, pointing his wand at an empty glass on his nightstand, causing it to fill with water.

"Here," he said, handing her the glass. "Drink something."

Ginny took the glass, still not saying anything.

"Ginny," Harry said again. "Come on, talk to me. What-What was it?"

"I had a nightmare," Ginny mumbled simply. "I'm sorry I woke you. Go on back to bed."

She made to get out of bed, but Harry took her hand. "Gin…come on, talk to me. What was that nightmare about? Please…it might make you feel better if you tell me."

Ginny stared up at him. Her usual strong, fierce composure was gone, and now she looked simply scared.

"I have them sometimes," Ginny whispered. "Not too often, anymore, but sometimes…."

"Are they about the war?" Harry asked.

She shook her head. "No…they're about the-about the-"

"The Chamber," Harry whispered, realization hitting him.

Ginny nodded. "Yes," she said, so softly that Harry almost missed it.

"It's been so many years since it happened," Ginny said, her voice shaking. "But I still…"

"Ginny, you were possessed by Voldemort," Harry said. "That-That's not something you just forget about."

"I'd like to, though," Ginny said firmly. "I hate that he got so close to me…that he made me do all those horrible things to people. That's all I see when I have those nightmares…I see myself with that horrible snake and-and I see myself telling it to attack all of those innocent students…I see myself hurting Hermione and-"

Harry quickly moved closer to her, wrapping both his arms around her tightly.

"No, Ginny, that wasn't _you_. You didn't do any of that. That was Tom Riddle and-"

"It was my body," Ginny snapped. "I don't care if I wasn't the one controlling myself, it was _still_ me."

Harry reached up, gently wiping a few stray tears that had escaped from her eyes.

"And I see him," Ginny continued. "Tom Riddle. I still can't believe…I was only eleven, I know, but I don't see how I didn't realize-"

"Don't do that to yourself," Harry told her. "Fully grown wizards and witches have fallen into Voldemort's traps."

The two were silent for several moments.

"You never talk about it," Harry said finally. "We've never brought that up…Have you ever told _anybody_ about these nightmares?"  
Ginny slowly shook her head. "No. I just want them to go away."

Harry nodded. He knew exactly what that was like.

"I'm sure you've dealt with nightmares far worse," Ginny said. "I _know_ you have; Voldemort used to try to get to you through your nightmares, after all. I'm just being dumb, aren't I?"

"No," Harry said at once. "Ginny, you're about the furthest thing from dumb. Going through all that, especially being as young as you were…it's incredible. Not many people could have handled that…but you…you're still so strong. You still fought so hard after all of that…"

Ginny squeezed his hand, resting her head against his shoulder. Harry pressed a kiss to her temple.

"Do you want to tell me about that year?" he asked after a moment.

"What?" Ginny said, looking up at him.

"It helps me," Harry told her. "Whenever I have them…It doesn't make them go away completely, but…it helps…I promise."

Ginny gave him a hesitant look. Then she took a deep breath.

"I started writing in that diary the day we came back from that trip to Diagon Alley," she started. "I didn't know how it wound up in my books, but I had never had a diary before, so I thought it might be nice to write in one. At first I thought it was a joke item or something, because as soon as I wrote in it, the ink disappeared…but then new writing appeared…"

Harry pulled her even closer to him. "Go on…we have all night."


	33. Chapter 33

"You guys!" James whispered urgently, rushing into the Potter's sitting room, where Lily and Albus were playing a game of Gobstones. "You'll never believe this! You'll never believe what I found!"

"What?" Albus asked, looking up from his game.

"Can't tell you here," James said. "Come on, up to my room. Now!"

"But we were playing a game," Lily frowned.

"Well finish it later, this is important!" James hissed, taking her hand and pulling her up.

"It better be," Albus muttered, getting to his feet.

The three Potter children headed upstairs. Before they could enter James' bedroom, Harry stepped out of his and Ginny's room. He gave the three a suspicious look. "And what are you guys up to?"

"Nothing, dad," James aid quickly. "Just want to spend a bit of quality time with my brother and sister before Easter holiday ends and I'm back to Hogwarts."

Harry raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying the story. "Just don't break anything," he sighed, turning and heading downstairs.

"Alright, in!" James aid, opening his door and ushering his siblings inside.

"So what is it?" Albus asked as James closed his door and locked it firmly.

"I was in dad's office," James said softly, rummaging through his pocket. "Trying to find where he keeps his stash of Jelly Slugs, when I found _this_ instead!"

He pulled out a folded, very old, thing of parchment.

"Whoa! Dad had _parchment_ in his office?" Lily gasped, rolling her eyes.

"She's gotten very sarcastic since you went off to school," Albus told James, who looked surprised at his sister.

"Ah," James said. "Well, _Lily_ , this isn't just parchment."

"What is it then?" Albus asked.

"This," James beamed. "Is going to thoroughly enhance my mischief making at Hogwarts. See, this was in the drawer of dad's office where he keeps all of his important stuff. So it didn't make any sense for him to have just a blank sheet of parchment in there, did it? So I decided to play around with it, see if I could figure anything out. And oh man…did I ever!"

"If at any point you'd like to actually tell us what this is…" Albus said.

James looked over his shoulder, making sure his bedroom door was securely locked. He pulled his wand out of his jeans pocket and pressed it to the front of the parchment.

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," he whispered.

"What's happening?" Lily whispered, her eyes widening in shock as writing began to appear on the parchment.

"Whoa, was all that written in invisible ink or something?" Albus asked.

"No, because I tried to use a revealer on it earlier," James said. "It's just really good magic."

"What's it say here?" Lily asked, picking up the map. "Messers Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs are proud to present The Marauder's Map. Hang on….we know these names!"

"Prongs is what dad's dad used to be called," James smiled. "And Padfoot was Sirius Black."  
"And Moony is Teddy's dad!" Albus nodded excitedly.

"Shame that Wormtail's name is on it," James muttered. "I suppose this was made years before he decided to betray our grandparents and sell them out…"

"So what is The Marauder's Map?" Lily asked.

James took the map back and carefully opened it up.

"That's not…that's Hogwarts!" Albus said.

"It is," James nodded. "But even more importantly-"

"Why are those dots moving?" Lily asked. "And what's that writing next to all of them…Professor McGonagall?"

"This map," James said slowly. "Shows the entire school, and everybody in it. It shows where they are at every moment of the day."

"Merlin's beard!" Albus said, impressed.

"Gone are the days of sneaking out of bed and praying to avoid teachers," James said happily. "With this, we can be certain to avoid any teacher. Wait until I show Fred and Louis!"

"Wait a minute, you're just going to claim this for yourself?" Lily frowned.

"No," James said. "But seeing as I'm the only one at Hogwarts right now, I'm the one with the most use for it, aren't I?"

"So next year, when I'm at Hogwarts, you'll share this with me?" Albus asked slowly.

"Yes," James said. "Have I ever been the type of older brother to discourage mischief making? I propose that the three of us make a pact. While we're at Hogwarts, we share this thing among ourselves. Whenever one of us needs it, we can take it; the others can't hog it."

"That seems fair," Albus said.

"But what if some teacher finds out about this?" Lily asked.

"That won't be a problem," James grinned, pulling out his wand. He pressed it to the parchment again. "Mischief Managed!"

At once the writing began to fade, until it looked like nothing more than blank parchment once again.

"Okay, this is officially the coolest thing ever," Albus grinned.

"Course it is," James said, folding the parchment back up and placing it carefully in his pocket.

"What if daddy finds out you took it from his drawer?" Lily asked.

"What use does dad have for this thing anymore?" James scoffed. "He won't go looking for it."

"That's true," Albus agreed. "I don't think we'll have to worry about him."

….

 _Three years later_

"History of Magic is definitely the most boring class," Lily said as her and her brothers, along with their parents, returned from King's Cross station. The Christmas holiday had just started, and Lily had been recounting every detail of her first year since the second she got off the train. "Did I tell you that already? Well, Defense Against the Dark Arts is obviously the best. But we're only learning easy spells right now. I can't wait until we start the cool stuff. Oh, and Hagrid always lets me help him in his garden. This one time he-"

"Is there an off switch on you?" James frowned, rolling his eyes.

"Seriously," Albus muttered.

"You two were just as excited when you first started school," Harry told them.

"That's right," Ginny nodded.

"Yeah, so there," Lily snapped at her brother, sticking her tongue out at them.

"When are we going over to the Burrow?" Albus asked.

"Few hours," Ginny replied. "In fact, I think I should probably head over now and start helping mum."

"Alright," Harry nodded. "I'll bring everybody over soon."

"Can't wait to see Uncle George," James said as Ginny left. "I have to tell him how well those Exploding Quills work. I gave one to Barry Carnigee in Transfiguration…ink was everywhere!"

"I'll pretend I didn't hear any of that," Harry said, shaking his head. "In the meantime…have a seat, you lot."

"Why?" Albus asked.

"Just sit," Harry said.

The three Potter children took their seats at the table, staring curiously at their father.

"Funny thing happened a few nights ago," Harry said casually. "I was in my office, going through a drawer, and I noticed something missing…"

The three children carefully avoid each other's eyes.

"Oh?" James said, trying to sound as innocent as possible.

"Yes, and it's strange, because nobody is supposed to be going through my desk drawers," Harry said.

"Mum goes through them because she says you take her chocolate galleons," Lily piped up.

"Well, your mum can do as she pleases," Harry said. "You three on the other hand…"

"We didn't go into your drawer," Albus said.

"Really?" Harry continued. "Because strangely, the item that seems to be missing is just a blank sheet of parchment."

"Well, maybe you've just misplaced it," James said.

"No, I don't think I did," Harry said. "I was very careful about where I put that parchment, because it _wasn't_ just blank parchment…was it?"

He continued to stare inquiringly at the three children.

"Fine!" James finally conceded. "We-We have The Marauder's Map."

"So let me get this straight," Harry said. "You guys snuck into my office, went through my stuff, and took something that clearly did not belong to you?"

"Daddy, we're really sorry," Lily sniffed, using her sweetest voice. "Honest."

"Aw, Lil," Harry said, looking at his daughter. "That's a very nice try, but it's not going to work,"

"Good effort, though," Albus muttered to his sister.

"Dad, I was the one who took it," James told his father. "Lily and Albus had nothing to do with that."

"But we _all_ used it while we were at Hogwarts," Albus said quickly.

"Yeah, so if you punish James, you have to punish us too," Lily nodded firmly.

Harry looked rather impressed at the unity between the three children.

"So you've been sharing it amongst yourselves?" Harry asked.

"That's right," Albus nodded.

"And you haven't been using it for anything dangerous?" Harry continued. "Just harmless pranks and sneaking around the school?"

"Course," James nodded.

"I like to use it to go down to the kitchens and visit the house elves," Lily smiled. "They're nice."

"I use it when Scorpius and I sneak into the Gryffindor common room to have Rose help us with our homework," Albus said.

"And it's dead useful for avoiding Peeves and Mrs. Norris," James said.

"Uh-huh…" Harry said thoughtfully. "Well in that case…enjoy."

"What?" James said, confused.

"I was going to give you guys the map eventually," Harry grinned. "I actually gave it to Teddy, his second year of school. Once James started Hogwarts, though, he thought I should continue to spread the Marauders' message and pass it down to you lot as well, so he gave it back to me."

"Wait, really?" Albus said.

"Yes," Harry chuckled. "Truth be told, I thought having the three of you share it evenly would be far more difficult, but it seems you've managed on your own."

James, Albus, and Lily exchanged grins.

"Just use it well," Harry told them.

"We will," James promised.


	34. Chapter 34

"Good meatballs, mum," Ron said, shoveling forkfuls into his mouth as him and Harry sat at the kitchen table of the Burrow.

"Ronald Weasley, you keep your mouth closed while you're eating," Molly scolded, though giving her son an appreciative smile.

"They _are_ good, Molly," Harry commented. "Do you mind if I bring some home to Ginny? She has a long practice today, so I know she'll be starving when she gets back to the flat."

"Of course dear," Molly nodded. "Ron, would you like to bring some home to Hermione?"

"Sure," Ron nodded. "Oh, speaking of Hermione, I don't think we can make dinner this Sunday."

"Why not?" Molly frowned.

"Her dad has to go get something called _surgery_ done on his knee," Ron explained.

"Surgery?" Molly repeated, confused.

"From what I gather, they're going to take him to this muggle healer fellow," Ron said. "Cut his knee open and go in there and fix something that's been making it hard for him to walk."

"Oh Ron, you _must_ be mistaken," Molly cringed. "There is no way muggles let themselves be cut open like that."

"Er, he's actually right, that's what it is," Harry said. "It's much safer than it sounds, though. And Mr. Granger won't feel a thing during the procedure."

"That's what Hermione says too," Ron said. "But she still wants us to be there for him."

"Well of course you should be," Molly said. "That's what marriage is all about; supporting one another. There will be plenty of other dinners for you two to attend, go on and be with Hermione's parents."

"Thanks, mum," Ron said, finishing the last of his meatballs. He looked at his watch. "I should be going back to the shop. This is normally the time we get the second rush of the day."

"Bye dear," Molly said, kissing his cheek and handing him a doggy bag filled with meatballs.

"See you later," Harry said.

"More meatballs, Harry?" Molly asked as Ron disapparated.

"Yes, please," Harry nodded.

"They've been working you hard at the Auror's office, have they?" she commented, piling his plate high.

"It's been busier than usual, I suppose," Harry said. "We've been getting scattered reports about groups of wizards trying to start up organizations similar to the Death Eaters. Luckily, we've been able to disband them before they get much of a following."

"Terrible," Molly sighed, shaking her head just as Arthur came into the kitchen.

"Hello, love," Arthur said, leaning down to kiss Molly's cheek. "Oh, Harry's here! Perfect, just the man I wanted to see."  
"What do you need?" Harry asked.

"A very strange looking muggle-device was just brought into my office," Arthur said. "I have no clue what it is. It's sort of rectangle-shaped, and has all sorts of buttons on it…with letters on them!"

"Does it fold and open back up again?" Harry asked.

"Yes, it does!" Arthur said excitedly.

"I think it may be a laptop then," Harry said.

"A laptop?"

"They're like muggle computers," Harry said. "Like the one I have in my flat. But a laptop is portable, so you can bring it with you anywhere; it doesn't have to be plugged in."

"Ingenious!" Arthur gasped. "Well I must go and have a better look at this now. I'll be in my shed, Molly."

"Actually, um, if you don't mind," Harry said suddenly, clearing his throat. "Could-Could I have a word with you both?"

"Yes, yes of course, dear," Molly said, sitting down at the table across from him. "Is everything alright?"

"Oh yeah, everything's fine," Harry said. "But um…see…I'd-I'd like to ask Ginny to marry me."

At once Molly's face lit up. "Oh!" she exclaimed, jumping up and throwing her arms around Harry. "Oh, that's _wonderful_!"

"Indeed," Arthur beamed, clasping Harry's shoulder. "But you know, Harry…you don't need to ask our permission. Ginny is a grown woman; she makes her own decisions."

"I know that," Harry said. "I suppose I'm asking more for your blessing."

"Well you definitely have that," Molly said, wiping her eyes.

"Yes," Arthur agreed. "There isn't anyone who we'd prefer more to marry Ginny. We can see how much the two of you love one another."

Harry grinned. "That means a lot coming from you two."

Molly kissed the top of Harry's head, tears still streaming from her eyes. "When are you going to ask her?"

"Tomorrow evening," Harry said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, velvet box. He opened it up and showed Mr. and Mrs. Weasley a beautiful, yet simple, diamond engagement ring. "Took ages to find this, but I finally got it yesterday."

"Oh it's perfect," Molly gushed. "She'll love it."

"You know, Harry," Arthur said, his own eyes sparking as well. "I'd say welcome to the family…but you've been a part of this family for years now. Still…I'll be proud to call you my son now."


	35. Chapter 35

"Hey, Uncle Harry," six-year old Hugo said as him, Rose, and Ron walked into Harry's office at the Ministry.

"Hey," Harry smiled, looking up from his desk.

"What are you doing?" Rose asked.

"Just paperwork," Harry replied. "Very boring stuff."

"Mummy says it's important," Rose replied.

"Yes well…" Harry said. "I suppose she _is_ right about that. What are you three doing here, by the way?"

"Came by to ask if you've seen Hermione," Ron said. "The four of us were supposed to go out for lunch, but her office is empty."

"She's in a meeting with Kingsley," Harry told him. "It's been hours, though…wonder what's going on."

"Do you know when she'll be done?" Ron asked.

"No clue," Harry said. "But I walked past Kingsley's office about an hour ago, and I saw platters of sandwiches being delivered, so I'm guessing it's going to be awhile."

"Hmm, guess she won't be making lunch then," Ron said. "Ah well, come on you two. See you later, Harry, unless you want to come to the Three Broomsticks with us."

"Yes, come!" Rose nodded eagerly.

"May as well," Harry said. "Can't do anymore with this paperwork until Hermione signs it, so really don't have much to do."

"Brilliant, come on then," Ron said. "I'm starving."

…

Later that evening, the fireplace in Ron and Hermione's living room began to glow green, and a second later, Hermione gracefully tumbled out of the ashes.

"Hi mum!" Hugo said, looking up miniature dragon figures he had been playing with.

"Hi darling," Hermione smiled, kissing the top of his head.

"How come you're late, mum?" Rose asked, closing the book she had been reading and hurrying up to greet her mother.

"Long meeting," Hermione replied.

"Is that your mum?" Ron asked, coming into the room. "Oh good, you're home, Hermione, we've been waiting on you to start dinner."

"Thank you," Hermione said, giving Ron a quick kiss. "I'm so sorry I missed lunch today."

"It's alright, Harry went with us instead," Ron said. "He told us you were in a meeting with Kingsley. Did you only just finish that?"

"Yes," Hermione nodded.

"Blimey, must've been an important meeting," Ron commented. "What's going on?"

"I'll talk to you about it tonight," Hermione said, lowering her voice.

"Right…" Ron said. "Can I at least know if it's good news or bad?"

"Well, it's not bad news," Hermione told him. "I'll explain tonight."

"Alright," Ron agreed. "Well, dinner's on the table. I picked up Sheppard's Pie."

"Sounds lovely," Hermione said.

"It's because daddy burned the dinner he made," Rose grinned.

"That was supposed to be our little secret, Rosie," Ron frowned. "Besides, even if I burn the occasional dinner, I'm still a better cook than your mum."

"What was that?" Hermione asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Er, nothing," Ron said quickly. "Nothing at all."

…..

"I think Hugo might need to get braces," Hermione said, coming into the couple's bedroom. "It seems his front teeth are coming in a bit crooked. I'll have mum and dad take a look when we all go and visit this weekend."

"Can't you just use magic to fix them?" Ron asked, looking up from the _Quality Quidditch_ magazine he was reading. "That's what you wound up doing for your own teeth, after all."

"Yes, but I think it would mean a lot to mum and dad if we were to stick to muggle methods on this," Hermione said.

"I suppose," Ron nodded, closing his magazine as Hermione climbed into bed. "Anyway…are you finally going to tell me what this super-long meeting with Kingsley was about?"

"Well, he's making an announcement at the end of the year," Hermione started. "He's retiring."

"Really?" Ron said, surprised. "Wow, that's a bit of a shock. He's earned a quiet retirement, though. After being through two Wizarding wars and sixteen years as Minister."

"Yes, he certainly has," Hermione nodded. "Anyway, during the meeting he-he told me he wants me to take his spot."

"Take his spot?" Ron said slowly. "You mean as…Minister of Magic?"

"Yes," Hermione said. "He wants me to run."

"W-Wow," Ron said, slightly stunned. "That-That's huge! Hermione, that-wow! Congratulations!"

He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her.

"Thank you Ron, but I haven't given him my answer yet," Hermione smiled at her husband.

"What do you mean you haven't?" Ron frowned. "What on earth are you waiting for?"

"Well I wanted to talk to you of course!" Hermione said. "It's an enormous decision!"

"Yes but…Minister of Magic!" Ron said. "You'd be brilliant!"

"But it'd take so much of my time," Hermione said. "Time away from the kids, and you."

"Well, of course it's going to be more time, but isn't this something you want?" Ron pointed out. "This is a great opportunity, 'Mione."

"I know that," Hermione sighed. "But still…I don't want my children to grow up with their mother never around. I don't want them to think I cared more about my work than them."

"Hermione," Ron said softly. "You are such a dedicated mother. Rose and Hugo are so lucky to have you…you've sacrificed so much for them…for us. They'll never think any such thing about you."

Hermione smiled at her husband.

"I can adjust my hours at the shop," Ron told her. "George won't mind, and I can do any of our mail orders out of the house here. That way I can be home more with the kids. I'm sure my mum and dad will help us out as well if we need them to look after Rosie and Hugo."

"You-You really think I can do this?" Hermione asked.

"Hermione, you're the brightest witch to ever come out of Hogwarts," Ron said. "You've revolutionized the Ministry from the second you started working there. There's nobody who's capable of doing a better job than you."

Hermione looked up, a determined glimmer in her eyes.

"Alright then," she said. "I'll send an owl to Kingsley in the morning and tell him I've decided to run."

"I'm so proud of you," Ron said earnestly. "Minister of Magic…can't do much better of that, can you?"

"I have to be elected first," Hermione reminded him.

"Oh you will be," Ron assured her. "Like I said…there isn't anyone who could do the job better."


	36. Chapter 36

"-But I'm sure if you write Professor McGonagall and ask her, she'll let me come," Lily pouted the evening after she had watched brothers set off on the Hogwarts Express. "I'm only two years younger than the other students; that's not that bad."

"Lily, Professor McGonagall is the strictest Headmistress Hogwarts has ever seen," Harry smirked as him and Ginny set dinner on the table. "She'd write _me_ a detention for even suggesting such a thing."

"But I want to _go_ ," Lily moaned. "I can't wait two more years!"

"Two years will fly by, Lily," Ginny told her daughter. "Before you know it, you'll be going off on the train, and poor daddy and I will be left all alone with an empty nest."

"We could always try for one more," Harry pointed out, grinning at his wife.

"You're absolutely barking," Ginny said. "Unless you would like to be the one to carry it for nine months, though I don't think they've invented a potion that could allow that quite yet."

"I'm bored, though," Lily sighed. "What am I supposed to do around here by myself?"

"Ron and I were talking and it _was_ going to be a surprise," Harry said, handing Lily a plate of roast chicken and potatoes. "But since you seem dead set on moping the rest of the night, maybe this will cheer you up. The muggle carnival is in town, and since I'll be off of work by noon, we were thinking we take you, Hugo, Roxy and the twins there for the day."

"The muggle carnival?" Lily gasped. "With that big wheel that takes you around in a circle?"

"It's called a fairy wheel, dear," Ginny said.

" _Ferris_ wheel, actually," Harry corrected his wife, smirking. "But yes, it's the place with all the rides. So if you think you can rough it out in this boring house until tomorrow-"

"I can!" Lily nodded eagerly.

"I wish the carnival was in town when the boys were here over the summer," Ginny said. "They loved it last time we took them, especially Al. Oh…the poor thing. He was so nervous today. I hope James doesn't give him a hard time."

"James has been getting better at knowing when to stop," Harry pointed out.

"When does Albus know where he's been Sorted?" Lily asked.

"The Sorting has probably finished by now," Harry said, looking at his watch. "Though he won't be able to write us until tonight when he's in his common room."

"I can't wait until I'm Sorted," Lily said. "I want to be a Gryffindor like you and mummy! Oh, but maybe being a Hufflepuff like Teddy would be fun. Where do you think I'll be put, daddy?"

"No clue," Harry said. "But wherever you're Sorted, it doesn't make a speck of difference to your mum and me."

"That's right," Ginny agreed. "The Houses don't define you as a person. Only you can do that."  
"You guys always say that," Lily muttered.

"Because it's true," Ginny said.

"Yeah, yeah," Lily said dismissively as she finished her dinner. "Can I go play with your Quaffle, mum?"

"Only for a little bit, it's getting late," Ginny said.

"Thank you!" Lily said, rushing out to the yard.

"So," Ginny said as her and Harry began to clear the table. "What were you talking about with Al at the platform today?"

"He was still nervous about being put in Slytherin," Harry explained.

"Do you think he will be?" Ginny asked softly.

"I don't know," Harry said honestly.

"He's the most ambitious out of the three of them, you know?" Ginny said. "When he puts his mind to something, he makes sure it gets done."  
"That's true," Harry agreed.

"With James we were both positive he was going to be in Gryffindor," Ginny sighed. "And we were right, weren't we?"

"We were right about Teddy going into Hufflepuff too," Harry added. "I suppose Albus is just a bit harder to read."

"Well," Ginny said firmly. "Wherever he's placed, he's going to do fantastic."

"Course he will," Harry smiled. "I have no doubt about it."

…..

"I'm not sitting next to Ron on a single ride at the carnival today," Ginny said early the next morning as she watched Harry get ready for work. "He got sick all over my shoes last time we went."

"That was hilarious," Harry grinned.

"I'm glad you thought so," Ginny snapped.

"I'll sit next to Ron on any rides we go on," Harry promised her, sitting down on the edge of the bed and pulling on his shoes."

"I'll have to leave early, by the way," Ginny told him. "I'm interviewing the new head coach of Ireland's national team. I don't think I'll be home before midnight tonight, by the way. I've got to go into the office and write the piece up as soon as the interview is done. It's running in tomorrow's issue of _Quidditch Quarterly._ Will you be alright with Lily tonight?"

"Sure, she'll probably tire herself out at the carnival," Harry said, getting to his feet as he grabbed his wand. "Alright, I'll be back soon. Just have to teach a few training classes and finish up a bit of paperwork." He leaned down and kissed Ginny. "You going back to bed?"

"No, I'm up, might as well do something," Ginny said. "I think I'll put together a couple of care packages for the boys."

Just then there was a loud pecking noise at the window, and the couple turned to see two familiar owls standing at the windowsill.

"Oh! Let them in!" Ginny said excitedly. "We can find out where Al was Sorted!"

Harry let his sons' owls inside, taking the attached letters from each.

"There are owl treats on the dresser," Harry told them, stroking their feathers. "Help yourselves."

He sat down next to his wife and quickly opened up his youngest son's letter.

 _Hi Mum and Dad,_

 _I'm sure James will be telling you in his own letter, but hopefully you'll read my letter first so you hear it from me._

 _I've been Sorted into Slytherin. You were right dad, the hat did give me a choice. It told me that I would do well in Slytherin or Gryffindor.. You've both always said that what House you're sorted into doesn't matter, and I've decided I want to prove that. That's why I told the hat to put me in Slytherin. Everybody's really freaked out. James looked like he was going to pass out. I do wish I was with Rose, though. It's going to be strange being in a different House than her (she's a Gryffindor, by the way). During the feast, everybody kept staring at me and whispering. They're all shocked that Harry Potter's son wound up in Slytherin._

 _I really hope you guys aren't upset with me. I promise being in Slytherin won't suddenly turn me into some Dark wizard. In fact, if it makes you feel any better, I told off a second year in the common room for using the 'M' word. Scorpius Malfoy threatened to curse him too. By the way, he's not nearly as bad as I thought he'd be. He shares my dormitory and he seems quite decent._

 _I'll write to you both soon, tell Lily I say hello._

 _Love,_

 _Albus_

"Well," Ginny said, looking up at her husband. "There you go. We have a Slytherin in the family."

"Yeah," Harry said, still staring down at the letter. "We do."

"How do you feel?" Ginny asked.

"I couldn't be more proud," Harry said, grinning.

"Me too," Ginny said. "Although I suppose we should tell him not to rush into dueling."

"At least not until he's learned a few spells," Harry muttered.  
Ginny raised an eyebrow.

"I'm kidding," Harry said quickly. He looked back down at the letter. "Not sure how to feel about him and Malfoy's son being friends, though."

"I'm sure his son is different than he is," Ginny reasoned. "And Malfoy's certainly stepped away from the Dark Arts, hasn't he?"

"I suppose," Harry agreed. He picked up James' letter. "I'm sure James is in a right state about this."

"Oh I bet," Ginny agreed as Harry tore open the envelope.

 _Hi mum and dad,_

 _I promise I had nothing to do with what happened to Al. I told him I was only kidding about him being put in Slytherin! I didn't think he'd actually be put there! You'll have to speak to Professor McGonagall right away and get him switched out of that House and put into Gryffindor as soon as possible. I know they "say" you can't change Houses once you've been Sorted, but you must have some leverage. We can get Aunt Hermione involved as well; if the Minister of Magic says that Albus needs to switch Houses, then there should be no question. Don't worry, I'll send her a letter myself as soon as I finish this one._

 _Oh, by the way, Quidditch try-outs are at the end of the week, and Gryffindor needs a new Seeker, so wish me luck!_

 _Write you later; tell Lily to keep out of my room!_

 _James_

"Why do these kids all think you can just waltz in and persuade McGonagall to do whatever you please?" Ginny asked, amused. "Imagine her face if you did that?"

"I'd rather go and face Voldemort again than do that," Harry chuckled.

…


	37. Chapter 37

"Well, he has a fever," Ginny sighed, removing the tip of her wand from James' forehead.

"Poor guy," Harry muttered.

"I'm guessing he caught this when he was out playing in the rain yesterday," Ginny said.

"I feel icky," James coughed, pulling his blankets closer to him.

"I know, love," Ginny said, kissing the top of his head. "You're sick. You'll have to stay in bed and rest until you're better."

"No," the four-year old moaned weakly. "That's boring."

"You're not up for much else, champ," Harry told him. "And you need to get your energy back."

"Can you go start brewing a fever-reducing potion for him?" Ginny asked.

"Sure," Harry nodded, rustling the top of his son's head. "You'll be back up and causing mischief in not time, James."

"What's wrong with James?" three-year old Albus asked, walking into James' bedroom.

"He's sick," Harry said, quickly scooping up the younger boy. "He has the flu. Which means you need to stay far away from him; last thing we need is two sick kids in this house."

"Merlin, that would be a nightmare," Ginny said.

"Your brother will be fine," Harry assured Albus, seeing the worried look on the toddler's face. "He just needs his rest. Come on, let's go get Lily up and then I'll get you breakfast."

He set Albus down outside of James' room and headed across the hall to Lily's nursery, where the little girl was standing up in her cot, waiting to be let out.

"Morning, beautiful," Harry smiled, taking his daughter in his arms. He quickly changed her nappy and then brought her down to the kitchen, where Albus was waiting at the table.

"Why's James sick?" Albus asked as Harry pointed his wand at a stack of bread, causing it to fly into the toaster.

"Everybody gets sick sometimes," Harry explained, setting Lily in her highchair. "James probably caught his flu when he didn't listen to mummy and daddy and kept playing in the rain yesterday."

"So I can't play with him today?" Albus frowned.

"No, afraid not, Al," Harry replied. "You can play with your sister, though."

"Lily's a baby; she can't do anything!" Albus pointed out.

"Well, perhaps after breakfast I'll see if I can take you by to play with Rose," Harry said, heaving a large cauldron out from under the sink and placing it on the counter so he could begin preparing James' fever-reducing potion.

"I'm glad I'm not sick," Albus commented. "I don't want to sit in bed all day."

"Oh, there will come a time when you'll be eating those words, Al," Harry grinned.

…

The next morning, Harry slowly opened his eyes, letting out a long yawn. He glanced next to him and saw Ginny was still fast asleep. Both of them had been up throughout the night checking on James. Getting out of bed as quietly as possible so to not wake her, Harry padded down the hall to James' room. Thankfully James was still sleeping and didn't stir in the slightest as Harry pressed his wand to his forehead.

"Still has a fever," Harry muttered to himself. "Lovely."

He left the room, closing the door behind him. He was about to return to bed when he suddenly heard a loud series of coughs coming from Albus' room next door.

"Oh no, no, no…" Harry breathed, quickly turning and going into the younger boy's room. "Al? Al are you alright?"

"My head hurts," Albus muttered thickly. "And my nose is runny and I feel yucky."

"Yes…you caught your brother's flu," Harry sighed, pressing his wand to his son's forehead.

"So I have to stay in bed?" Albus moaned.

"That's right," Harry nodded sympathetically. "I'll bring you up some breakfast and potion in a bit. And mummy and I will read to you later on; that seemed to make James feel better yesterday."

"Alright," Albus mumbled, falling back against his pillows.

Harry had just closed the door when he heard a loud cry from Lily's room. It didn't sound like her normal cries, though.

"Please tell me this isn't what I think it is," Harry said, rushing into the nursery, where Lily was sitting up, her nose almost as red as her hair. She looked very uncomfortable and miserable.

"Three sick kids," Harry sighed, gently lifting up Lily and rubbing her back soothingly. "Well this is just brilliant. You just had to be like your brothers, didn't you Lil Bud? And you're too young to take any fever-reducing potion, so I suppose we'll have to run a cold bath for you. Mummy's going to thrilled…"

He set Lily back in her cot, covering her up with her blankets, and went back into his and Ginny's bedroom.

"Gin?" Harry whispered. "Gin, we've got a problem. Al and Lily caught James' flu; they're all sick."

"Hmm?" Ginny murmured, slowly opening her eyes. At once, Harry knew something was wrong.

"You're burning up," Harry said, taking his wife's temperature with his wand. "Looks like you got the flu as well."

"How did one four-year old manage to get an entire house sick?" Ginny coughed as Harry pulled out some extra blankets from the trunk at the foot of the bed. "Well, except for _you_. How did you avoid this? James must've coughed in your face at least a dozen times."

"Well it's lucky I'm not sick, or we'd be in real trouble," Harry pointed out.

"I should go get the boys some toast," Ginny said weakly. "Hopefully they can keep it down. I'll make Lily some porridge too."

"Fever's obviously made you delirious," Harry said, gently putting his hand on Ginny's shoulder to keep her from getting up. "You're not doing anything other than lying in bed and getting better."

"You're the delirious one if you think you can handle three sick kids on your own," Ginny frowned. "I'll be fine, you need my help."

"No offense, love, but you can barely sit up," Harry smiled. "You'd be more of a burden than a help. Really, just stay in bed. I'll take care of the kids _and_ you. Let me just send an owl into the Ministry saying I won't be coming in. I was just going to be doing paperwork today anyway."

"You don't realize what you're getting yourself into," Ginny warned.

"Just worry about getting better," Harry told her. "Leave everything else to me."

…

"Lily, I promise you'll feel so much better if you stop crying," Harry sighed, trying to calm down the infant as she screamed in his arms. "I know you feel icky, but this is only making it worse."

He poured out three glasses of fever-reducing potion, skillfully using just one hand, and swished and flicked his wand at them, causing them to levitate.

"Let's go bring these to mummy and your brothers," Harry said.

He went up the stairs to James' room first.

"Alright James, I know you're not a fan of this potion, but you've got to drink it," Harry said. "Hopefully by tomorrow your fever will have broken, and then there will only be three sick people in this-what are you doing?"

James had quickly pulled his covers up all the way to his chin the second his father had entered the room. "Nothing!"

Harry pointed his wand at the covers, causing them to fold back, revealing an entire carton of Berttie Bott's Every Flavor Beans…or what _used_ to be an entire carton.

"James! You ate all of these?" Harry exclaimed.

"I was sick of toast and soup," James shrugged. "I haven't had any desserts in two days."

"Because you're _sick_ ," Harry said. "You don't get dessert when you're sick."

"But I haven't been bad," James frowned.

"It has nothing to do with that," Harry said, sitting down on the bed next to James and beginning to pick up the remains of the carton. "Foods like this make you feel worse. Once you're better, I'll make sure that you get-"

Suddenly, James face contorted and he clutched his stomach as he gave a loud moan. Before Harry could react, James had doubled over and vomited square on Harry's lap. Lily, who Harry had thankfully set down by the bedroom door, managed a small laugh at the spectacle.

" _That's_ why you don't get dessert when you're sick," Harry said, trying to stay calm.

After getting himself and James cleaned up, Harry took Lily with him to Albus' room.

"How are you feeling, Al?" Harry asked.

"Bad," Albus pouted. "I don't want to be sick anymore, daddy."

"I know," Harry smiled, handing him his potion. "Hopefully it won't be too much longer."

"My stomach hurts," Albus told his dad.

"Just try and keep resting," Harry said. "I know being sick isn't fun, but you've got to keep-"

And just then, without Albus made a loud gagging noise and proceeded to vomit up the contents of his stomach…right onto his father's lap.

"Well," Harry said, closing his eyes for a moment. "You _did_ warn me, I suppose."

"Sorry," Albus muttered.

"It's alright," Harry sighed.

Once he had gotten the second mess of the afternoon cleaned up, him and Lily left Albus' room.

"So, Lily," Harry said, looking at his daughter in his arms. "I don't suppose you'd like to throw up on your dad too?"

No sooner had the words left his mouth did Lily give a moan, and spat-up all over Harry, just as her brothers had done.

"Lily…I was kidding," Harry said, shaking his head.

…

After nearly another hour, Harry finally managed to get to his and Ginny's room, where his wife was laying against her pillows.

"Here," Harry said, handing her the potion. "How are you feeling?"

"Awful," Ginny replied. "Less awful than this morning, though. I'm hoping tomorrow I can at least help you a little bit. Are the kids alright?"

"By some miracle, they're all asleep right now," Harry told her.

"Amazing," Ginny said, giving a small smile as she sipped her potion. "I really can't believe you managed three sick kids and a sick wife on your own. I'll need to make this up to you."

"No, you don't have to," Harry told her. "What was I supposed to do? Let you lot sit around and get sicker? I'm happy to take care of any of you whenever you need it. Please, just promise me one thing, Gin."

"What?"

"Don't you vomit on me too," Harry said, kissing the top of her head.


	38. Chapter 38

"I don't how I got myself roped into this," Ron said as him and Harry opened up several empty cardboard boxes.

"What do you mean? You're the one Hermione's moving in with," Harry said. "I don't know how _I_ got roped into this."

"Ron will help when Ginny moves into your place next week," Hermione said, coming into her old bedroom.

"Not much to pack, she practically lives there now," Ron scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"I've just talked to our new landlord, Ron, and we'll be set to move into the flat first thing in the morning," Hermione said. "Have you got your stuff packed?"

"I can do that tonight," Ron shrugged.

"You mean you haven't even started yet?" Hermione frowned.

"Well, I was going to do it last night," Ron defended. "Only then Ginny roped me into playing Keeper for her so she could practice her shots before her Harpies try-outs. But it won't take long; I've only got a few boxes of stuff. It'll take ten-minutes tops. Just like here."

He pulled out his wand and aimed it at Hermione's dresser.

"What on earth do you think you're doing?" Hermione exclaimed.

"Er, packing?"

"You can't just magic all of my stuff into boxes!" Hermione said. "We need to go through it, decide whether it stays here, or if I keep it, and then put it _carefully_ in one of the boxes."

"By carefully, you mean you don't want us using magic, don't you?" Harry sighed.

"You're mad!" Ron frowned. "Hermione, without magic it'll take us the rest of the day to pack all this up."

"Well, I suppose we can break it up over the course of a few days, if you like," Hermione said. "I just thought you'd like to get settled into our own place as soon as possible. But if you rather we put that off a bit longer than-"

"Oh alright," Ron sighed.

"Thank you, Ron," Hermione smiled, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. "And thank you, Harry. Now, I suppose the first thing we should start on is the books…"

"Yes, I suppose that _would_ take the longest with you," Harry said, grinning at Ron. They turned to the five bookshelves that were crammed all around Hermione's walls.

"And these aren't even including your school books," Ron said, shaking his head in awe. "Those are stored in your trunk…Have you read these all?"

"Some more times than others," Hermione nodded. "A lot of them are muggle books."

"And let me guess? They'll all be coming with us into our flat?" Ron smiled knowingly.

"Well if your Cannons posters are going up in our room, then I'm entitled to my books," Hermione smirked.

"Algebra?" Harry read, picking up a thick book from one of the shelves. "Calculus?"

"What the bloody hell are those?" Ron asked.

"Math books," Harry said, flipping through them. "You reviewed these over the summers between Hogwarts, didn't you?"

"Well I wasn't going to waste all of my muggle schooling," Hermione said, taking the books from Harry. "I kept up as much as could over the summer. I do admit, I got a bit lazy with history, though. I have some very interesting chemistry books, if you'd like to borrow them. You know, it's fascinating to compare some of the work in that area to potions and-"

"I'll take your word," Harry grinned.

Just then there was a loud peck at Hermione's window. She quickly stepped across the room and let the bird in, taking the owl that was in its beak.

"Oh, it's from the Ministry," Hermione said, opening the letter. "Oh! Melinda Bobbit is finally able to meet with me!"

"Who?" Harry asked.

"She's the vice-head of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures," Ron told him. "Hermione's been trying to meet with her for weeks about drafting regulations to finally give house elves basic rights. When are you meeting with her?"

"Well…she only has availability right now," Hermione said slowly.

"So go!" Ron said. "Who knows when she'd be able to meet with you again."

"Yes, but I don't want to leave you alone here to pack up _my_ things," Hermione said. "That's hardly fair."

"Hermione, you fighting for House Elves rights is far more important than helping Harry and me pack up your stuff," Ron said firmly. " _Go_. We don't mind at all, right Harry?"

"Oh, I suppose not," Harry agreed.

"Well…alright," Hermione smiled. "I don't think I'll be more than a couple of hours. Mum and dad will be at work until this evening, so you'll be on your own here. Just please be careful; some of this stuff is fragile."

"Course," Ron said, leaning down to kiss her.

"Thank you, Ron," Hermione said to her boyfriend. "And Harry, I really do appreciate you helping. Well, I'll see you both later then."

"She's definitely going to convince Bobbit to start the work on drafting that legislation," Ron said admiringly as Hermione left the room. "You should here her argument, it's brilliant."

"Don't doubt it, mate," Harry smiled. "So, shall we get started on these books?"  
"Right," Ron said, stepping over to one of the bookshelves. "Honestly…how can one girl have so many books? Look at this; she has two entire books about the Goblin Wars of the fourteenth century."

"We should be thankful she's read so many books," Harry pointed out. "She's saved our skins about three dozen times because of that."

"Very true," Ron nodded. "These books are quite small…"

"Those are muggle novels," Harry said. "Children's' ones. I guess she read a lot of them before she started Hogwarts."

"Think she'd want to save these?" Ron asked.

"Probably," Harry shrugged. "Hermione wouldn't want to throw out any book, even if it's a children's' book."

"Some of these titles are strange," Ron commented. "The Phantom's Tollbooth? Charlotte's Web? Matilda? What's a Matilda?"

"Oh, I've read that book, I think," Harry said.

"You _have_?"

"They make you read a ton of books like this in primary school," Harry explained, picking up the copy of the book. "Course Dudley would normally cram my copies down the toilet, but this is one of the few that he missed. It's quite good, from what I remember."

"Seems like she's read it a lot," Ron said, noticing how worn the book was.

"Wouldn't be surprised, I could see Hermione enjoying this one," Harry grinned. "It's about a girl who loves to read. I don't remember properly, but I think she gets some sort of magical ability because she got so smart from reading so many books."

Ron laughed. "You're right, she would enjoy this." He opened up the book. "Wicked; there are even drawings in here. Weird that they're so still, but I suppose they're still nice. Hmm…doesn't seem like a bad read."

"Well read it later," Harry said. " _After_ you've helped me finish packing."

"Yeah, yeah, sure," Ron said, not looking up from the book. "I'll help…Huh, wish I had books like this when I was a kid. This is great!"

"Ron, I'm not packing everything myself," Harry said. "So don't you get any ideas about-"

"How about we just take a quick break?" Ron said, settling down on Hermione's bed with the book.

"Break from _what_ exactly?" Harry frowned. "You haven't done anything."

Ron didn't reply as he flipped a page in the book.

Harry sighed. "Right then. Looks like I'm on my own."

…

"Oh! You've finished everything!" Hermione beamed as she walked back into her bedroom several hours later.

"Told you we'd handle it," Ron said, wrapping an arm around her.

" _We_?" Harry scoffed. "You didn't do a thing other than sit on the bed and read that bloody book."

"Ron, you made Harry do all the work?" Hermione frowned.

"Well…he seemed to be doing such a good job that I didn't want to disturb him," Ron said lamely. "Besides, I was _reading_ Hermione. You wouldn't want to get in the way of that, would you?"

"I'm going to go see Ginny," Harry said, rolling his eyes.

"Thank you for all your help, Harry," Hermione said. "I really appreciate it. How about I take you to lunch tomorrow at work?"

"Sure," Harry smiled, giving her a quick hug. "Good night, you two."

"Well," Hermione said, turning back to Ron. "Can I at least see which book it was that kept you from helping poor Harry?"

"This one," Ron said, holding up the novel.

"Matilda?" Hermione said, slightly surprised. "Oh! I haven't read that book in ages; not since I started Hogwarts, I think. I used to _love_ it."

"It's a great story," Ron said. "The girl, though, she reminds me of _someone…_ can't quite put my finger on _who_ though."

"Oh really?" Hermione laughed. She took the book from Ron and smiled down nostalgically at the cover. "I used to read this book almost every day when I would come home from school."

"Well, I'm obviously not as fast of a reader as you are, but I'm nearly halfway done," Ron told her. "So we'll just have to take this book with us to the new flat."

"If you insist," Hermione grinned. "I'm sure we can find a place for it."


	39. Chapter 39

"How can anyone possibly write twelve inches on cheering charms?" Lily frowned as her and Hugo sat hunched over their books in the library.

"Wonder if Rose has this essay saved from when she wrote about it during her third year," Hugo said thoughtfully. "I could ask her if I could borrow it to copy."

"She'll put you in detention for even thinking about cheating," Lily grinned.

"Yeah, you're right," Hugo sighed. "Worse thing that could've happened…her getting that Prefect's badge."

"Well, I'm exhausted," Lily announced, closing her book. "Quidditch practice took it all out of me tonight. I think I'll head back to the common room."

"Good idea," Hugo said, closing his own book. "We still have two days for this essay. You up for a quick game of Gobstones? You could win back a few of the ones you lost to me last time."

"You're on," Lily grinned.

The two cousins quickly packed their bags and began heading out of the library. As they did, they passed a table filled with older students, finishing up work of their own.

"I'm telling you, I simply don't see the reasoning behind any of this new legislation," they heard one of the older students huff. "You know business owners can't stop _werewolves_ from being hired anymore? _Werewolves!_ "

Lily and Hugo stopped dead in their tracks.

"Well, it's the work of Granger," another student said, shaking his head sadly. "I knew from the second she took over as Minister of Magic that we'd be seeing more of those nonsense laws. You know she's the one who made it where house elves have to be given _wages_ when she first started at the ministry. Absolutely absurd…"

Hugo's fist clenched, and Lily instinctively clutched her wand in her robes pocket.

"I'm sorry, but there's no way a werewolf should be allowed to work anywhere," the first student said, rolling his eyes in disgust. "I mean where does it stop?"

"I can't wait to see Granger out of office," the second student said. "Then all of these disgusting laws will hopefully dissolve. You see? _This_ is why we've never elected a _mudblood_ to office before."

"Hey!" Hugo exclaimed. "You watch your mouth!"

The older students turned around.

"Oh, you better be careful, Z," the first student smirked. "That's the minister's son. And that's Potter's daughter, too. What's the matter? Did we say something to upset you two?"

"You better watch how you talk about werewolves," Lily said, narrowing her eyes. "They deserve to work wherever they like."

"Course she'd say that," the first student scoffed. "Your family took in the orphan of that Lupin werewolf, didn't they?"

Lily pulled out her wand. "Don't you say a word against Teddy…Or Hugo's mum. She's done more good by fighting for werewolf rights than you pathetics will do your whole lives."

"If fighting for half-breed rights is 'good', then I'm quite fine with that, thank you," the second student snapped.

"Lily, come on," Hugo whispered. "They're not worth it."

Lily still didn't put her wand away.

"She's probably just upset because she knows we're right about werewolves," another student said. "I bet you ten galleons that that Lupin werewolf is sitting on his unemployed ass in the Potter's basement."

"Lily-" Hugo shouted, but it was too late.

"Calvario!" Lily exclaimed, pointing her wand at the nearest boy. At once his thick, dark hair fell cleanly off into a pile on the floor.

"What the-What did you do?" the first boy cried out, clutching his now bald head.

"How dare you!" the second boy sneered, pulling out his own wand and aiming it towards Lily. "Stup-"

"Portego!" Hugo yelled out, casting a shield in front of Lily, causing the second boy to fall backwards into one of the shelves.

" _What_ is going on here?" Madam Pince hissed, storming over to the scene. " _This. Is. A. Library!_ There is not one good reason for your wands to be drawn! Have you no decency?"

"They started it," the first boy said, pointing at Lily and Hugo. "Look what _she_ did to our hair!"

"We only started it because you lot don't know how to keep your filthy mouths shut," Lily said, still clutching her wand.

" _You,_ " Madam Pince said, glaring down at Hugo and Lily. "Are going straight to the Headmistresses office. Oh…you'll be out of here for sure, you will!"

"Hugo didn't do anything," Lily said quickly. "I'm the one who started it. He only stepped in to defend-"

"Move!" Madam Pince growled, grabbing both of their robes and yanking them towards the exit. "Come on!"

She escorted them all the way to the stone gargoyle that stood in front of Professor McGonagall's office.

"Jelly Slug," Madam Pince said, causing the stone gargoyle to slowly turn, revealing a spiraling staircase.

"Go," Madam Pince ordered the pair. " _Now_!"

"I'm sorry," Lily whispered to Hugo as they began walking up to the office. "It's all my fault."

"They had it coming," Hugo mumbled.

"Still, now you're in trouble," Lily sighed.

"Yeah, well, not like it's the first time I've been in McGonagall's office," Hugo grinned.

When the reached the door of McGonagall's office, Lily took a deep breath and slowly knocked.

"Come in," McGonagall called from inside.

Lily pushed open the door, and the cousins entered the office. McGonagall was sitting at her desk, reading a roll of parchment.

"Well," she said, setting down the parchment. "According to Madam Pince, the pair of you caused quite a disturbance in the library."

"We-" Lily began.

" _Sit_ ," McGonagall said firmly. She looked back down at the parchment. "Which one of you was it that used a hair-loss curse on Mr. Lloyd and Mr. Smith?"

"It was me, professor," Lily said.

"Of course it was, Ms. Potter," McGonagall sighed. "You seem determined to give your brother, your father, _and_ your grandfather a run for their gold in the area of mischief making."

"Madam Pomfrey will be able to regrow their hair, won't she?" Hugo asked.

"Yes, Madam Pomfrey will be able to restore Lloyd and Smith to their previous appearances," McGonagall said simply. "However…nothing gives you the right to preform such spells on fellow students."

"But professor, you didn't hear what they were saying," Hugo said.

"That's right," Lily nodded. "They called Hugo's mum the m-word! And they were saying all these horrible things about werewolves. They even went after Teddy!"

McGonagall's expression softened slightly.

"Well, be that as it may…that was still no excuse," she said. "The world is filled with people who spout ignorance, and I assure you, it does no good to simply fire curses at them. _Both_ of you should know better. Therefore, for your punishment, I will be taking twenty points each from Gryffindor. And in addition…I believe two-weeks detention will suffice."

"Two weeks?" Lily exclaimed.

"Yes, Ms. Potter," McGonagall said, looking over the tops of her spectacles. "Now, Professor Hagrid has told me that he's looking for students to help him tend to his pumpkin patch. So, for the next two weeks, every evening after dinner, you'll go down to his hut and assist him."

"We're doing our detention with Hagrid?" Hugo frowned. He glanced at Lily. Both of them knew that spending the evenings with Hagrid would be nothing short of enjoyable. In fact, they had already been planning on going down to help Hagrid with his pumpkins.

"Is that a problem?" McGonagall asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No," Lily and Hugo said quickly, shaking their heads.

"Then you are both dismissed," McGonagall said.

"Um, thank you," Hugo said.

"Oh, Mr. Weasley?" McGonagall said as Hugo and Lily made to leave the office. "Shield Spells are commonly taught during one's fifth year…for a third-year to perform one is quite an impressive feat. Did you teach yourself?  
"Oh…my dad taught me," Hugo replied.

"I see," McGonagall nodded. "And Ms. Potter…I'm surprised you didn't go with a Bat-Bogey hex."

Lily grinned. "Thought I'd try something new."

"Ah," McGonagall said, a thin smile forming on her face. She cleared her throat. "Well go on then; I daresay you have better things to do than stand around my office!"

"Sorry," Lily said quickly, pulling open the door and scrambling out with Hugo at her heels.


	40. Chapter 40

Harry sat outside the door of the headmaster's office, staring off at nothing. Bits of stone and other debris from the fighting littered the stairway, and Harry offhandedly wondered how long it would take to restore the castle.

Kreacher was the only one who knew where he was at the moment. The house-elf had brought him a sandwich almost an hour ago, but Harry still hadn't touched it.

It felt surreal…Voldemort was finally dead. And though he had initially felt as though a massive weight had finally been lifted from his shoulders, the reality of the aftermath was now beginning to set in. So many people had died…Lupin, Tonks, Collin, Fred…he had never seen Mrs. Weasley look so distraught.

He knew everyone was looking for him, but he didn't want to be around anyone at the moment.

Well…there was one person who he wanted more than anything to be with at the moment.

Suddenly he heard footsteps coming up the stairs. Harry instinctively grabbed his invisibility cloak, ready to throw it over himself, but put it down when he saw who had arrived.

"Ginny…" Harry breathed, standing up.

Ginny said nothing as she rushed up the rest of the steps and threw her arms around him. She had dried blood on her face, and Harry could tell that she had been crying.

"I thought you were dead," she said, her voice shaking as she hugged him tightly. "I thought-I thought I'd never see you again."

"I'm sorry," Harry said, hugging her back. "I had to do it, Ginny, I'm so sorry."

"You didn't say goodbye," Ginny said, pulling away slightly so she could look up at him. "You left for your death and you didn't even-"

"There was no choice but for me to go into the woods," Harry told her. "I'll explain it all later. I wanted to say goodbye to you, Ginny, but I knew if I did, I-I couldn't pull myself away to go."

Ginny nodded, wiping her eyes. "I just…I don't know what I would've done if you had really-"

"You would have been alright," Harry told her. "You're brilliant, Gin."

He pulled her down gently, both of the sitting back down on the stone steps. He let her rest her head on his shoulder.

"Fred…" Harry finally managed after several moments of silent. "Ginny, I-I can't even imagine-"

Ginny closed her eyes, and Harry's heart wretched at the pained expression on her face. "I can't believe he's gone. He died fighting…and laughing…I-I can't think of any other way he would've wanted to go. Not that he wanted to go…"

Harry pulled her closer to him, feeling her tears seep through the fabric of his shirt. He wished, more than anything, that he could do something to make her pain go away.

"I think George is taking it the worst," Ginny finally said. "I couldn't stay down there too long, but-but I've never seen him so broken. And mum…But-But we'll be okay. We all knew that there was a possibility that-that this could happen."

"That doesn't make it any less devastating," Harry muttered.

"No," Ginny agreed. "It doesn't. There were so many others, too. I-I heard that Lupin and Tonks-"

Harry nodded slowly. "Yes. They're gone."

Ginny let out another soft cry. "Poor Teddy…he'll never know them."

"He'll know that they died heroes," Harry said firmly. "I'll be sure of it."

Another silence fell over the two.

"It's over now, though," Ginny said. "He-He's dead."

Harry nodded.

"So what now?" Ginny asked.

"I don't know," Harry said honestly. He looked at her. "Only thing I know is that…I don't want to be apart from you."

Ginny squeezed his hands. "I don't want to be apart from you either. I know you had to leave…you had to go hunt down V-Voldemort. But I never stopped wishing you were back here at Hogwarts with me. So…whatever's next, just promise me…we'll face it together."

Harry squeezed her hand back. "I promise…together; me and you. Always."


	41. Chapter 41

Hermione stood in front of the mirror, starting back at her reflection. She was wearing a long, beautiful white wedding gown, and her and Ginny had finally managed to get her hair in an elegant knot in the back of her head.

 _Just about an hour left now_ , Hermione thought to herself, looking at the clock behind her. _An hour until I become Mrs. Hermione Weasley….Hermione Granger-Weasley, that is._

She couldn't be more excited to be marrying Ron. From the moment they began dating after the war ended, they both knew that this is where they would wind up. Both of them would've been fine doing away with the traditional wedding ceremony and getting married any afternoon at the Ministry of Magic just so they wouldn't have to wait any longer to be husband and wife…however they realized that Ron's mother, as well as Hermione's, would've never let them hear the end of it if that had happened.

Just then there was a knock at the door.

"Come in," Hermione called.

The door opened up and Harry walked in, wearing his dress robes.

"Hey," Harry smiled at her. "Wow…you look beautiful, Hermione."

"Thank you," Hermione grinned, hugging her best friend. "How's everything going out there?"

"Pretty well," Harry said. "Guests are starting to arrive, so Ginny and Percy are handling getting them all seated. Your mum is making sure everything is set up for the reception after the ceremony, and Ron's mum is getting Teddy and Victoire ready. Biggest disaster that has happened so far is the two of them chasing each other and bumping into one of them one of the flower arrangements, but Charlie managed to get all of that fixed."

"And what about Ron?" Hermione asked.

"He's a bit nervous," Harry replied.

"Nervous?" Hermione frowned.

"He's not getting cold feet," Harry said quickly. "No, remembering that at the end of all of this, he'll be married to you is the only thing keeping him sane at the moment. He's just nervous he'll forget his vows or will drop the ring or something like that."

"Oh," Hermione said, relieved.

"He'll be alright," Harry told her. "What about you, though? How are you feeling?"

"Just worrying about little things," Hermione sighed. "Like what if one of Ron's relatives forgets that they can't use magic here because of _my_ relatives? Or what if I trip walking down the aisle?"

"Great Aunt Muriel would blame that on your 'skinny ankles' in no time," Harry grinned, causing Hermione to laugh.

"Yes, she would," Hermione agreed.

"Nothing's going to go wrong, though," Harry assured her.

"I hope you're right," Hermione said. "I can't believe this day is finally here…"

"It's been a long time coming," Harry said. "The pair of you have fancied each other for ages, even before you got together."

Hermione smiled, her cheeks flushing slightly. "We did not."

"You would think someone as brilliant as yourself would be able to lie a bit better," Harry smirked, rolling his eyes. "So…anything else that needs to be done then?"

"No, Ginny's been a wonderful maid of honor and has made sure everything is ready," Hermione said. "You're Ron's best man, shouldn't you be asking him this?"

"I already did," Harry said. "Finished all of my pre-wedding jobs. Oh, and I snuck in a few threats about what I'll do to him if he ever hurts you."

"You did?" Hermione laughed.

"Course," Harry nodded. "Said even though he's my best mate, I'll hex him without a second thought if he does anything. Although to be fair, I'm sure you'd beat me to it."

"Yes, I would," Hermione agreed. "But Ron would never do anything."

"I know," Harry nodded.

"He'll be getting you back when you're in his spot, about to be marrying Ginny," Hermione said. "Whenever you decide to pop the question to her…"

"Would you like me to get down on one knee and ask her in the middle of your reception?" Harry smirked.

"You wouldn't dare," Hermione warned.

"I'm only kidding," Harry assured her. "But don't worry, it's coming soon."

"Is it?" Hermione asked excitedly. "Have you already got the ring?"

"Yes," Harry nodded. "Don't go spreading that around, though."

"I won't," Hermione promised.

"But enough about Ginny and me, today's about you," Harry said. "And Ron, I suppose. I should probably get back out, make sure he hasn't passed out, but I just wanted to wish you luck before everything starts."

"Thank you, Harry," Hermione said, hugging him again. "I love you."

"Love you too," Harry smiled.


	42. Chapter 42

"When can we go get my wand?" Albus asked excitedly as he watched Ginny set the table for dinner.

"Al, we've been over this, dear," Ginny sighed. "We'll get your stuff over the summer."

"But that's months away!" Albus moaned. "Why can't we go now?"

"I'd rather do your school shopping when we do James'," Ginny said. "That way we won't have to make two trips."

"I don't mind making two trips," Albus said.

"Yes, I know _you_ don't," Ginny smiled.

"Is dinner ready?" Lily asked, walking into the kitchen. "I'm hungry."

"It's ready, but we need to wait for your father," Ginny replied.

"Where'd he go?" Albus asked.

"Over to Teddy's grandmother," Ginny told him. "To invite her for dinner. He's been gone an awfully long time, though…maybe I should Floo over there and see what's going on."

Just then, though, there was a loud popping sound, and a second later Harry walked into the kitchen.

"Perfect timing," Ginny said. "Dinner just finished. Where's Andy? Didn't she want to come?"

"Ginny? Do you mind if I show you something in my office before we eat?" Harry said.

"Can't it wait until after dinner?" Ginny frowned.

"No, um, it's important," Harry told her. "Lil, Al, you two can go ahead and start your dinner without us."

"What is it?" Ginny asked as she followed Harry out of the kitchen and into his office. "Is everything alright?"

"No, not really," Harry said heavily. "Ginny…Andy-Andy is dead."

Ginny's eyes widened in shock. "No…"

"When I went over to invite her for dinner, she wasn't down in the sitting room like she normally is," Harry said gravely. "Nor the kitchen or anywhere else downstairs. So I went up to her bedroom and…she was there. She must have gone in her sleep."

"Oh…Oh Harry, no," Ginny said, her voice shaking. "I don't believe it."

"I know," Harry said, the corner of his own eyes sparkling with tears. "I can't believe it either. I-I already contacted St. Mungo's. They um, they've taken her out of the house. I'll start the funeral arrangements first thing in the morning."

"Teddy…" Ginny whispered, looking up at Harry. "He's going to be crushed."

Harry nodded sadly. "I'm going up to the school now. I'll-I'll tell him."

"He's going to move in with us permanently then," Ginny said. "I know he only has half a year of Hogwarts left, but let him know he has a place here as long as he wants."

"Of course he does," Harry said. "Alright, I've already sent a Patronus up to McGonagall telling her I need to have a word with her, so she'll probably be down by the front gates waiting for me by now."

"Okay," Ginny said softly. "Maybe-Maybe you should let Teddy come back home here until the funeral. I'm sure McGonagall would understand."

"You're right," Harry said, sighing heavily, pulling his cloak back on. "I don't know when I'll be back, but…go ahead and tell the kids what's going on. When I bring Teddy home with me, I want them to know that he'll need his space."

Ginny nodded, and Harry headed out of the office into the front entrance, where he quickly disapperated. He appeared a second later inside of Hogsmeade village. He trudged through the snow until he reached the front gates of Hogwarts where, sure enough, Professor McGonagall was already waiting for him.

"Potter, is everything alright?" McGonagall asked. "Do you need to speak with James?"

"I need to speak with Teddy," Harry told her. "His grandmother…she's-she's passed away."

"Andy?" McGonagall gasped. "My word…when did it-"

"I went by her house a little while ago and found her," Harry explained gravely. "I don't understand. I know she was quite old, but she came by our place yesterday and seemed perfectly fine. But I do really need to speak to Teddy. Ginny and I think that it'd be best if he was able to come home with us and stay until the funeral, if that'd be alright."

"Of course," McGonagall said at once. "I'll make sure all of his teachers are aware of his absence. Come on, I'll go have Professor Boxtrough fetch him."

Harry followed McGonagall into the castle and up to the first floor and knocked on the office door just off of the staircase.

"Come in!" a cheery voice from inside said.

"Abagail," McGonagall said, addressing the current Transfiguration professor and Head of Hufflepuff house. "Could I please ask you to fetch Teddy Lupin from the Hufflepuff common room?"

"Of course," the witch nodded pleasantly. "Oh! Mr. Potter is here! To what do we owe this surprise?"

"This isn't a happy visit, Abagail," McGonagall sighed. "I'm afraid Mr. Lupin's grandmother has just passed away. Mr. Potter is here to inform him of the news and take him home for a few days."

"Oh no, the poor boy," Boxtough said, her face falling. "I'm so sorry to hear that. Just sit tight, I'll go get him right away. Please, feel free to use my office; take as long as you'd like."

"Thank you," Harry said. "I appreciate it."

"I'll leave you alone as well," McGonagall told Harry. "Please, let me know when the funeral arrangements have been made. I'd like to pay my respects."

"I will," Harry promised.

As McGonagall left, Harry sunk down into a nearby chair, bracing himself. Teddy and his grandmother were extremely close; the woman had raised him after all. Harry knew all too well the pain his godson was about to experience when he learned the news.

A few moments later, the office door opened, and Teddy walked in.

"Harry? What's going on?" Teddy asked, confused. "Professor Boxtrough said you had to speak to me. Is everything alright?"

"Why don't you have a seat?" Harry told him.

"Is it Ginny?" Teddy frowned, sitting down across from Harry. "Or Albus or Lily? No…No it can't be, otherwise James would be in here too…"

Harry said nothing as he watched Teddy slowly put the pieces together.

"It's gran…" Teddy said softly, looking up at his godfather. "Harry, what's wrong with gran? Is she sick? Did she hurt herself?"

"Teddy, I-I'm so sorry," Harry said. "Your grandmother…she-she passed away earlier today."

Teddy stared at Harry, and for a moment, Harry was worried Teddy didn't hear him.

"Teddy-" Harry started.

"No," Teddy said, shaking his head. "No, you-there's got to be some mistake. Gran-No."

Harry was silent as he watched Teddy run his fingers through his hair, his locks turning from bright yellow to black; something that only happened when he was very upset.

"She sent me an owl two days ago!" Teddy said. "She was fine! She was upset that her violets didn't bloom properly and she said that she'd send me a batch of her peanut brittle soon."

"I know that this is unexpected," Harry said gently. "But it's true."

"No!" Teddy said loudly, jumping to his feet. "She-She can't be! You're lying!"

"Teddy, believe me, I wish that this wasn't true," Harry said. "And I know that it hurts more than anything to even hear this, but-"

"Did you see her?" Teddy asked sharply, turning back to Harry. "I know you go and check on her while I'm here at school. You'd have been the one…did you see her?"

Harry sighed, knowing that Teddy needed to hear this information. "Yes. Yes, I found her, Teddy. I went to invite her to dinner earlier and she wasn't downstairs. I found her up in her bedroom…"

Teddy closed his eyes, sinking back down into the chair as he covered his face with his hands. As Harry heard Teddy's sobs, he felt a pang in his own chest, knowing perfectly well that there was nothing he could say or do right now to make his godson feel anything less than devastated.

"What am I supposed to do now?" Teddy whispered after several moments.

"You'll move in with us, of course," Harry said at once. "I'll move all of your things from her house into your room at our place right away. In the meantime, I've already made arrangements with McGonagall; you're excused from all your lessons for the time being and you can come back with me tonight."

"What about her funeral?" Teddy asked, looking up at Harry, his face covered with tears.

"I'll take care of it," Harry told him. "You don't have to worry about-"

"No, I want to do it," Teddy said firmly. "I want to make the arrangements."

Harry could tell that there was no changing Teddy's mind on the matter. "Alright," Harry agreed. "I'm sure she'd have liked that."

Teddy rubbed his eyes, though they still remained red and watery. "You said I can go with you now?"

"Yes," Harry said quickly. "Do you need to get anything from your dormitory? I'm sure Professor Boxtrough would-"

"No, I-I can go," Teddy said, taking a deep breath. "I'll be back in a bit then."

As he made to leave the office, he stopped, and turned back to Harry.

"You said you found her in bed, right?"

"Yes," Harry nodded.

"So she-she went in her sleep then?" Teddy asked weakly.

"That's right," Harry said. "She looked very peaceful. I'm sure she didn't feel a thing."

Teddy nodded slowly. "Good," he mumbled.

Once Teddy left the office, Harry stood there for a moment. Part of him wanted to stay and wallow in his own grief. Over the years, Andy had become a close friend of his, and the weight of finding her like he had just hours earlier was still sitting heavily on him. But he knew that right now, Teddy needed him to stay as composed as possible.

He'd cry later.

Harry stepped out of the office, closing the door behind him.

"Uncle Harry!"

Harry spun around and saw Victoire running towards him, her silvery blonde hair flailing behind her.

"Vic?" Harry said, surprised to see his niece.

"I was on Prefect's duty in the Great Hall," she said, catching her breath as she stopped in front of him. "I heard Professor McGonagall talking to Professor Flitwick…she said that you had come to the school to tell Teddy that his grandmother had-had died. Is that true?"

"Yes," Harry said softly. "I'm afraid so."

"Oh no," Victoire whispered, covering her mouth with her hands as her eyes grew wide with shock. "Have-Have you told him then?"

Harry nodded. "I've just finished. He's getting his things from his common room, and then he'll be coming home with me."

"How is he?" Victoire asked shakily. "Oh, that was a dumb question…he's crushed, of course. I-I should find him…do you mind?"

Harry gave her a small smile, knowing how close the pair of them were.

"Walk him down to the front gate for me, if you don't mind," Harry told her. "I think he'd really like to see you before he leaves as well."

…..

"I'm leaving for the school to pick up James for the funeral," Ginny told Harry a few mornings later, as she came into the kitchen. "George asked me to pick up Fred as well. I think Bill picked up his three last night, and Percy said he's going to pick up Molly and Lucy after work today."

"Alright," Harry nodded.

"Has Teddy eaten anything yet today?" Ginny asked softly.

"I don't think so," Harry replied. "I'm going to go check on him now."

"I made him a plate of eggs," Ginny said to Harry. "Tell him he's got to get some food in him."

"I will," Harry promised. "He's going to need his strength for tomorrow…"

"Yes," Ginny agreed sadly. "I wish we could help him more. I feel so useless."

"I know," Harry said heavily. He leaned down and gave her a short kiss on the cheek. "Tell James not to bombard Teddy when he arrives. I know he'll mean well, but…"

"Alright," Ginny said, pulling her coat on. "I'll see you in a bit then. I'm serious, though. You make sure Teddy eats; he's looking far too thin."

Once Ginny left, Harry slowly started up the stairs. To his surprise, the door of Teddy's bedroom was open. As Harry walked in, he saw Teddy sitting on his bed with Lily, flipping through a book of magical creatures that Luna and Rolf had given her.

"We've seen that one in Care of Magical Creatures," Teddy told her. "It's called a Crup."

"It looks like a dog," Lily commented.

"It does," Teddy nodded. "Except for the tail. It's forked, see."

"Cool," Lily smiled.

"Lily, what are you doing in here?" Harry asked his daughter.

"It's alright, I asked her to come show me her new book," Teddy said as Lily opened her mouth to defend herself. "Saw her reading it in her room on my way back from the loo and decided I'd like some company."

"That's right," Lily said. "So I can't be in trouble."

"Fair enough," Harry smiled. "Mind if I take your place for a bit, though, sweetheart? I'd like to talk to Teddy."

"Alright," Lily agreed. She closed her book and handed it to Teddy. "You can borrow it for a bit if you like. I know you like all these magical creatures."

"Thanks, Lil," Teddy said, cracking a small grin.

Once Lily had left the room, Harry sat down on the edge of Teddy's bed. "So," he started. "Are you ready for tomorrow then?"

"As ready as I can be," Teddy mumbled. "You think I'll feel any better after the funeral? Everybody always says you get closure after them, but I think it's a load of rubbish. What am I supposed to do? Watch gran be lowered into the ground, dry my eyes and then just go along with my day?"

"Course not," Harry said. "Teddy, I won't lie to you. You're never going to stop missing your grandmother."

"I know that," Teddy snapped. "I'm not five, you know. I know about all of this; about death and loss and all of it. I've been an orphan since I was a month old, remember? I have a pretty good understanding of what it's like to lose someone."

"You're right," Harry said patiently.

"Sorry," Teddy sighed. "I didn't mean-"

"Don't be sorry," Harry said at once. "Never apologize for how you feel, especially about things like this. Get it all out."

Teddy looked over at his nightstand. Harry glanced over as well, and saw that in addition to the framed photo of Remus and Tonks that he had always had, he now had a picture of his grandmother set up next to him.

"It feels different, though," Teddy said. "Losing her…I mean, I-I miss my parents. It hurts knowing that I lost them before I knew them, but that's just it. I lost them before I even knew what I had. I feel sad when I think about them, but it's a different kind of sad. When I think about gran…all I think about is everything that we've ever done. All those nights she stayed up with me and read story after story. How she used to chase me around the garden, even though she was hardly up for it. And those _awful_ gingersnap biscuits she would always bake. I don't know what she'd do, but they were hardly edible for a dog. And she'd always send me off on the Hogwarts Express with a whole tin of them, and-and I'd ditch them the first chance I got and go and buy snacks of the sweets trolley…"

Teddy squeezed his eyes shut, tears falling down his face. "And now I'll never have one again. But-But that's what I mean. Harry…Harry, you know what I mean, don't you?"

"Yes," Harry said at once. "I know exactly what you mean. I'm like you; I don't have any memories of my own about being with my parents, but I still miss them. But when Sirius died…that was a very different pain. Because with my parents, I-I never knew what I was losing. When Sirius died, I knew exactly what I lost. But I wouldn't trade the memories that I have with Sirius for anything in the world, even though they made losing him absolutely devastating."

Teddy was silent for a moment. "I don't know how you did it," he finally said.  
"Did what?" Harry asked.

"Losing your parents is hard enough, even if you don't really remember them," Teddy said. "But after Sirius died, you had no one, did you? He was your only family, and when he left you…that was it."

Harry said nothing, recalling just how true those words were.

"If I didn't have you and Ginny right now, I-I'd be just like that," Teddy said softly. "I-I'm lucky. Even though gran is-is gone now, I won't be alone."

Harry silently put his arms around his godson, embracing him tightly.

"You'll never be alone, Teddy," Harry said firmly after a moment. "Never."


	43. Chapter 43

"How many people tried out?" Hugo asked Lily as she paced nervously in the Gryffindor common room.

"About thirty," Lily said. "For only two spots. Only a few of them tried out for the Beater position, though. Most went for the Chaser spot, like me."

"Sorry I couldn't make try-outs," Hugo told her. "Can't believe I got detention…"

"I told you, if you want to sneak down to the kitchens to see the house elves, ask to borrow my dad's map," Lily said, rolling her eyes. "That way you won't run into any teachers…or Peeves."

"It was three in the morning; I figured it I woke you up for the map, you'd sock me in my nose," Hugo pointed out.

"I probably would've," Lily grinned. She looked around the common room. "James said he was going to make the announcement of who he picked for the team at five. It is now a quarter past five. How did he get made captain if he can't even be punctual?"

"You're late for class at least three times a week," Hugo frowned.

"Yes, well, Quidditch is a bit more important, isn't it?" Lily scoffed.

Just then the portrait door swung open, and James Potter climbed through to the common room. At once all of the chatter died down, and the several students who had tried out for the Quidditch team earlier that day stared over at him hopefully.

"Oi! Is everyone here that tried out for the team today?" James asked, looking around the room. "Brilliant. Er, well, thanks for all coming out today, but unfortunately, as you know, there were only two open spots on the team. So I'll just get right to it. The new Gryffindor beater is Tara Creevey!"

A round of applause broke out throughout the common room, as a small, blonde girl jumped up excitedly.

"She was amazing," Lily whispered to Hugo. "She doesn't look like it, but she's wicked strong. She'll partner well with Fred."

"And the new Gryffindor chaser," James continued, causing another silence to fall over. "Is going to be Lily Potter."

"Alright!" Hugo cheered as Lily grinned proudly. "Told you! Told you that you'd make it."

"Practice starts tomorrow evening at six!" James said over the applause. "Be ready to work!"

"I have to write my parents," Lily said, still beaming. "Oh! And I have to tell the twins too. And where's Rose? It's because she played Keeper for me all summer that I improved so much. I can't believe this; I've wanted to be a Chaser for Gryffindor since I was six!"

"I know, you've been talking about since then non-stop," Hugo said, rolling his eyes. "Come on, the twins will probably be out by the lake. Let's go tell them the news."

….

"So who's the first match against?" Roxanne asked Lily as the two cousins sat in the common room later that evening, playing a game of chess.

"Hufflepuff," Lily replied. "Lorcan and Lysander both said they'll be cheering for me, though."

"Course Lysander will be," Roxanne grinned. "He fancies you, you know."

"He does not," Lily said at once, her face flushing slightly. "Anyway, James has been working all summer on new plays for us to run. Course he refused to let me see them, but now that I'm on the team, he'll have to!"

"Your mum's going to be really happy to have another Chaser in the family," Roxanne said.

"I know, I wrote her earlier," Lily smiled. "Why didn't you try out for the Chaser spot, by the way? You're a great Chaser."

"You're better," Roxanne shrugged. "Besides, I just like playing Quidditch for fun; I don't like the competition."

"I love it," Lily said. "I can't wait until the first match."

"-and she wasn't even that good," Lily suddenly heard two nearby girls whispering. "She nearly missed a wide open goal. Though I suspect her cousin the Keeper played easy for her."

Lily frowned, looking over at the girls, who she recognized from the try-outs earlier.

"Well she had the spot from the very beginning," the second girl whispered. "Her brother is the captain. Of course she was going to make the team."

"Well at least she managed to stay on her broomstick the entire time, unlike the pair of you," Roxanne said loudly, causing the two girls to look up. "I was watching; Lily flew circles around you. So instead of spouting off untrue rumors, why don't you worry about yourselves?"

The two girls huffed and got up and went up to the girls' dormitories.

"Don't pay them any mind, Lil," Roxanne said. "They're just upset they didn't make the team. You were the best Chaser out there; that's why James picked you."

Lily didn't reply.

"James breathes Quidditch twenty-four-seven," Roxanne continued. "You really think he would've put you on the team if he didn't think you were the best chance Gryffindor had at winning the House Cup?"

Lily pushed back her chair and stood up. "I'll be back."

She looked around the common room, spotting her brother sitting with Fred and Louis by the windows. They had their books open, but the three boys were more interested in racing their quills around their table.

"Come on! You can't make your quill squirt ink at mine," Louis frowned, elbowing Fred in the ribs. "That's cheating."

"Fair game, I say," James grinned. "You know, I say we need a bigger arena for this. You two up for sneaking down to the Great Hall tonight and finishing this race off?"

"Definitely," Fred said at once.

"James?" Lily said, approaching the boys.

"Huh? What do you want?" James asked, looking up at his sister. "You better rest up; practice is going to be brutal tomorrow."

"Congratulations on making the team, by the way," Fred said. "With me, you, Rosie, and the drill wizard over here, us cousins make up more than half the team! Could've been more if Louis would've gone out for that second beater spot."

"And risk ruining this face?" Louis grinned cheekily. "I'd rather not."

"James, can I talk to you?" Lily asked softly.

James' face instantly turned serious. "You alright?"

"Yeah, but um, just come here," Lily said, pulling her brother's arm.

Lily led her brother to an empty corner of the common room.

"What's up?" James asked.

"You didn't let me on the team just because you're my brother, did you?" Lily blurted out.

James raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"I heard people talking," Lily mumbled. "They said my spot was secured from the very beginning because I'm the captain's sister."

"Ah," James nodded. "Figured there'd probably be some of that going around."

"Is it true?"

"Lily, have I ever been the kind of brother to throw you a favor out of the kindness of my heart?" James scoffed.

"Not particularly," Lily said slowly.

"Exactly," James smirked. "So you really think I would risk Gryffindor's shot at the House Cup just to let my little sister play Chaser? Obviously not! I picked you because you're a bloody brilliant Chaser and will score the most points for us."

Lily looked relieved. "I was just checking…Well, alright then. I'll see you at practice tomorrow."

"Hey," James said, putting his hand on her shoulder to stop her from leaving. "Listen, you'll have to get used to hearing stuff like that, you know. That anything you earn in your life, you only got because of who you're related to. When I was made captain this year, all I heard was that I got the spot because my dad's Harry Potter."

"But you're the best player on the team," Lily pointed out. "That's why you got it."

"Course it is," James grinned. "But you're Harry Potter's daughter, Lil. And there's always going to be people who think that that's all you are. Albus and I have been dealing with it for years here."

"Well what do you do?" Lily asked.

"Prove them all wrong," James said simply. "Prove to everybody that anything you get, you _earn_. So if you want to shut everybody up about you being made Chaser, you go out there the first match and you put away more goals than anybody has ever seen."

Lily grinned. "That was the plan. Mum has the current record, you know. I'd love to get it myself."

"Oh she'd be furious," James laughed. "Anyway, I was serious; tomorrow's practice is going to be tough, so go rest up."

Lily threw her arms around her brother. "Thanks, James."

"Just get off me," James said in mock frustration.


	44. Chapter 44

"She really appreciates you doing this, you know," Dudley said as him and Harry sat at booth at a small coffee shop. "She, um, she said she wouldn't have blamed you if you hadn't wanted to do this."

"Yes, well…" Harry shrugged. "It's been almost ten years since I've seen her last. Figured it couldn't hurt."

"She should be here any minute," Dudley said, clearing his throat. "I told her to meet us at noon."

Harry said nothing. He wasn't sure what to expect. The last time he had seen Aunt Petunia had been when the Dursley's had finally been allowed to come out of hiding after the war, and even then he had hardly said a word to her.

Since then, Harry had only spoken to Dudley, who had been adamant on trying to make amends for how he had treated Harry growing up. And while Harry appreciated this, and had slowly accepted his cousin's apologies, he still wouldn't say he was close with him. They saw each other once or twice a year, at holidays. Dudley had a daughter, Ellen, who was Albus' age, and Harry didn't want his children to ruin a friendship just because of his past history with Dudley.

"She must've got caught in traffic," Dudley said, checking his watch. "Sorry. I'm sure you're busy."

"No, today's my day off," Harry replied. He looked down at his coffee. "So…how are Beatrice and Ellen?"

"Ellen's doing great," Dudley replied. "She's getting ready to start primary school in September. Beatrice…well I suppose she's doing alright."

Harry gave him a confused look. "You suppose?"

"We're um, we're splitting up," Dudley mumbled, looking away awkwardly.

"Oh," Harry said, unsure of how to respond. "Um, I'm sorry to hear that."

"It's for the best," Dudley said. "We were just incompatible. We tried for a bit to make it work, for Ellen, but in the end, it just couldn't happen. She's moved back home to Scotland. Ellen visits her every other month. I think she's taking it well, though."

"Well…she's a strong girl," Harry said.

"Yes, she is," Dudley said, smiling slightly. "And what about you then? How are Ginny and the kids?"

"They're all well," Harry replied. "Albus is starting primary school in September as well."

"I thought you all didn't start that school of your until you were elven?" Dudley frowned.

"Some Wizarding families decide to send their children to muggle primary schools until then," Harry said. "Ginny and I thought it'd be a good idea for them. James is already enrolled, and some of their cousins are as well."

"Oh, well, that's nice," Dudley said.

Just then the shop's door opened and a small, bony woman with graying hair walked in.

"There she is," Dudley said, standing up and waving. "Mum, over here!"

Harry stared as Petunia made her way over to the booth. He hardly recognized her anymore…

"Here, have a seat," Dudley said, moving over on his side of the booth to make room for his mother. "I ordered you some tea."

"Thank you," Petunia said as Dudley pushed a cup towards her. She was staring right at Harry, though, as if she could hardly believe he was right in front of her.

"Er, hello," Harry finally said, after several moments of silence.

"You look just like him now," Petunia whispered. "Your father. You always have…but now I can really see it. I only saw him once after him and your mother left school…but you're a spitting image. Except for your eyes, of course."

Harry nodded, unsure of how to respond.

"I didn't think you'd want to see me," Petunia said, her voice hardly louder than a whisper. "When I asked Dudley to ask you, I thought you'd refuse."

"I almost did," Harry said honestly.

Petunia nodded. "Well, thank you for meeting me. I've wanted to see you for a long time…I was just too afraid to reach out. Are you-Are you well?"

In the sixteen years that Harry lived with her, he couldn't recall being asked that question.

"Yes," Harry said.

"Dudley-Dudley said you're married?" Petunia continued.

"Oh, um, that's right," Harry said. "For a little over seven years now."

"And-And you have children?"

"Three," Harry said.

"Do you have pictures?"

"Huh? Oh…sure," Harry said, slightly taken aback. He reached into his wallet and pulled out one of several pictures he kept of his children. He slid it across the table to her. "James is the one with the long hair…refuses to let us cut it. He's six now. Albus is the one with the glasses; he's five. That tall one with the blue hair is my godson, Teddy. He's about to start at Hogwarts. And the little one there is Lily, who will be three in a few weeks."

"Lily…" Petunia whispered, her eyes watering as she stared down at the photo. "They're all beautiful."

"Thank you," Harry said, carefully putting the picture back in his wallet.

"Ellen plays with the three of them," Dudley told his mother. He turned to Harry. "She's actually been asking to see them."

"Bring her by whenever you like," Harry replied. "They've been asking to see her as well."

Another silence fell over the table.

"I'm so sorry," Petunia whispered. It was so soft that Harry nearly missed it.

"What?"

"I'm sorry," Petunia said, louder this time. "For-For the way that we treated you when you were young. If I could go back…"

"You can't go back," Harry said simply. "It's done."

"I know I can't fix it," Petunia said softly. "There-There is no excuse-"

"Why did you do it?" Harry asked, cutting her off. "Vernon…I-I can understand him. He hated anything that wasn't 'normal'…anything he couldn't understand. But your own sister was a witch…and you just pushed her away."

Petunia looked down at her lap, clenching her hands together.

"I know you were jealous of her," Harry continued. "I found out, years ago, that you wanted to go to Hogwarts like her…you wrote to Dumbledore…"

"I was," Petunia nodded.

"But you still didn't have to push her away like you did," Harry said. "She loved you. All she wanted was for her to love her back, like you used to."

"I never stopped loving Lily," Petunia said firmly.

"You refused to speak to her," Harry said. "Especially after she married my father. She reached out to you too…and you still ignored her."

Petunia wiped a tear from her cheek. "Vernon…Vernon wouldn't have let me associate with them, knowing what they were-"

"She was your _sister_ ," Harry said.

Petunia closed her eyes. "I know. I regret all of it so much."

"You could've told me about her," Harry said quietly. "All those times when I was young and I would ask about my mum and dad, you could've told me about her. But you never said a word…I had to grow up knowing a thing about them. _That_ …That was worse than putting me in the cupboard for ten years. That was worse than giving me tissues and hangers for Christmas. That was worse than anything you ever put me through."

Petunia nodded slowly. "I wanted to…There were times, especially when you were young, and I'd hear you crying under the stairs…I was just too afraid…"

Harry said nothing.

Petunia reached into her bag and carefully pulled out a small photo album.

"This is something I should have given to you years ago," she said, handing the book to him. "These…these are all of the photos I have of her. I kept them hidden, so Vernon wouldn't find them and throw them out."

Harry opened the album. The pages were filled with images of a young, beaming girl with flowing red hair and bright, green eyes. He couldn't help but smile as he flipped through the pages.

"That picture you showed me," Petunia said. "With your daughter…she looks so much like her grandmother…"

"Yes, she does," Harry said, not looking up from the pages.

"I know you would've loved to have had this growing up," Petunia said.

"I would have," Harry replied.

"I'm so sorry, Harry," Petunia said, more tears falling from her eyes.

"I know you are," Harry said. "I know."


	45. Chapter 45

"You want to buy a what?" Ron frowned as him and Harry sat at the kitchen table in their shared loft.

"A television," Harry repeated.

"What the bloody hell is a television?" Ron asked.

"Muggle invention," Harry explained. "You hook it up and can watch all sorts of things."

"Watch it?" Ron said, giving Harry a strange look. "Why on earth would you want to just sit around and just watch something?"

"Well it has shows," Harry said. "And movies. It's very entertaining; a lot of muggles sit around for hours and watch it."

"I'll take your word for it," Ron said, still looking confused.

"So you don't mind if I buy one and put it in the living room?" Harry asked.

"Go ahead," Ron shrugged. "We need more stuff around this place anyway. You should've heard mum last time she came by…called it 'plain and empty'."

"She has a point," Harry grinned. "Well, I'm going to go off to the store then. You want to come along?"

"No, I'm going to finish up my letter to Hermione," Ron said. "Hopefully Pig comes back from hunting soon so I can send it."

"Well, if he comes back before I do, you mind giving him my letter to Ginny to deliver?" Harry asked. "It's on my desk. Just don't, you know, read it."

"Wouldn't want to," Ron said, rolling his eyes.

….

"Still don't see the appeal," Ron said as he watched Harry set up the television later that night.

"It's not set up, yet," Harry told him.

"Well do you want help?" Ron asked. "You've been working on that thing for over an hour."

"No offense Ron, but I doubt you'd be much help," Harry said. "Besides, I think I almost got it."

"What are all of these?" Ron asked, looking into another bag, containing several videotapes.

"Movies," Harry said. "I bought a VCR as well."

"Don't know what any of those letters mean," Ron said.

"Hold on, I think I've got it…" Harry said, fiddling with some wires. "Ah-ha!"

"Still see nothing, mate," Ron said, staring at the blank screen.

"It's not on yet," Harry said, picking up the remote control that had come with the television. He pressed a button and at once the screen lit up.

"What the-" Ron gasped, jumping back in shock.

"These are the shows I was talking about," Harry grinned. "There's thousands of them. And you can pick any one you want to watch; you just push this button here and change the channel."

A new show appeared on the screen, and Ron continued to gawk at the device.

"I-I thought muggles couldn't make their pictures move," he said.

"Well no, they can't make _photographs_ move," Harry said. "But, see, this is film. It's different."

"How?"

"Er, dunno really," Harry admitted. "I'm sure Hermione could explain it loads better. But basically, those people you see on the screen are actors. They tell different stories depending on what show you're watching…does that make sense?"

"Not really," Ron said, his eyes still not moving from the screen.

"Ah, well, like I said, Hermione can it explain it to you," Harry said, sitting down on the couch. "Let's see what sort of programs are on now…"

"Did the Dursley's have one of these things when you lived with them?" Ron asked.

"Course they did," Harry said. "They had a few; Dudley didn't like to miss even a second of his shows when he went from the kitchen to the living room. I was never allowed to watch, though. Sort of the reason I was so keen to get one…when I was younger, before I found out I was a wizard even, I promised myself the second I moved out of the Dursley's, I'd get myself all the things they never let me use."

"Ah," Ron nodded as Harry changed the channel, stopping on a football game. "Whoa! I know what this is! This is that bloody game Dean likes; he those posters in our dormitory, remember?"

"Oh yeah, football," Harry nodded. "You can watch live events like this too on the television."

"So there really _is_ only one ball," Ron said. "But why are they all just kicking it around with their feet? Why won't someone just pick it up?"

"They can't," Harry explained. "Only their Keeper can, but he has to stay in that box by his goal, see."

"That seems a bit difficult," Ron said. "And why do-Hey! Did you see that, Harry? That bloke just kicked that other player in the stomach! Is that allowed? He should be thrown out of the game!"

"So I'm guessing we're going to be watching this match for awhile?" Harry grinned.  
…

The next morning, Harry yawned as he came down to the living room. He was surprised to find that the television was still on, and he glanced over at the couch and saw Ron, fast asleep, the remote grasped tightly in his hand.

"Ron!" Harry said loudly. "Ron, get up! We need to be at the Ministry in twenty minutes."

"Huh?" Ron sputtered, waking up. "Oh…okay, I'll go get ready really quick."

"You weren't up all night watching this thing, were you?" Harry frowned. "Thought you were going to bed after that second football match."

"Well after the match ended, this other program-thing came on," Ron said. "Don't know what it was, really…these people were all just sitting around this pub making jokes. They were really funny, though, I did enjoy that. Then this other thing came on, and these blokes were fighting each other with these light-up wand things! It was amazing! And then this other program came on, and it was like some bloke was reading me a newspaper or something."

"I think that was the _news_ ," Harry smirked. "Lot of muggles watch it instead of reading about it in the paper."

"Brilliant," Ron said. "I've got to say, Harry, muggles really knew what they were doing when they made this thing. I've never been more entertained in my life! We have to watch more once we get back from work."

"Er, alright," Harry agreed. "Sure."

"Great, just give me two minutes to get changed," Ron said, getting to his feet.

"Hermione's going to kill me," Harry muttered to himself, turning off the television.


	46. Chapter 46

"It's going to be strange for you, isn't it?" Ginny said to Hermione as the girls sat in Ginny's room. "Being at Hogwarts without Ron and Harry."

Both Ron and Harry had officially sent in their acceptances to start their Auror training instead of going back to Hogwarts to properly finish their seventh year.

Hermione nodded. "Yes…it's going to be very different."

"Well, you and I will be in the same year now," Ginny said. "And Gryffindor has lots of classes with Ravenclaw, so we'll be with Luna as well. And Neville is coming back as well. I know it won't be quite the same, but you'll have us still."

Hermione smiled. "I know. It's going to alright. Besides, Harry and Ron will come up every Hogsmade weekend. And I've already told them both they'll have to write often."

Just then there was a knock at the door.

"Come in," Ginny called out.

Harry pushed open the door and stepped into the room.

"Hi Harry," Hermione smiled.

"Hi," Harry said. "Um, Hermione? Ron's looking for you. He's down in the garden, I think."

"Oh," Hermione said, getting up off her cot. "I'll see you later then."

"You're a terrible liar, you know," Ginny smirked as Hermione left the room, closing the door behind her. "She would've left on her own if you asked."

"I didn't lie," Harry said simply. "Ron _is_ down in the garden. Course he's sleeping out in the hammock…"

"Slipped you mind to mention that, did it?" Ginny said as Harry sat down on the bed next to her.

"It might have," Harry admitted. "But I wanted to talk to you privately. What are you doing this evening?"

"Nothing really," Ginny shrugged. "I was going to start looking over some of my notes."

"You don't go back to Hogwarts for another month," Harry frowned. "Has sharing a room with Hermione already had its effect on you?"

"I suppose it has," Ginny sighed. "But I can always push off studying. What's up?"

"I got an owl today," Harry said. "From Andromeda."

"Oh," Ginny said. "Are she and Teddy alright?"

"Yes," Harry nodded. "They're both fine. But she asked me if I might want to come by and-and see Teddy tonight."

Though it had been three months since Harry had officially been made Teddy's godfather by Lupin, Harry still had not had a chance to spend much time with his godson. After the war, Harry had wanted nothing more than to see the child, but he knew that Andromeda had suffered great losses from the was. Her husband, daughter, and son-in-law…Teddy was the only thing she had now, and he hadn't wanted to intrude on them.

"That's wonderful," Ginny said.

"I know," Harry said. "I can't wait to see him. I've only seen the picture that Lupin showed us at Shell Cottage. But um, I wanted to know if you'd like to come with me?"

"You'd want me to?" Ginny smiled. "I wouldn't want to intrude on your time with him."

"You wouldn't be intruding," Harry told her. "Besides, he'll need to get to know you too."

"Oh? So you're planning on keeping me around for a bit then?" Ginny said playfully.

"You've grown on me," Harry grinned. "So will you come?"

"Of course," Ginny said. "I can't wait to meet him."

…..

Later that evening, Harry and Ginny walked hand-in-hand up the front walk of a small, homely-looking cottage.

"This is the right place?" Ginny asked softly.

"I think," Harry said, checking the slip of parchment Andromeda had sent him earlier. The couple walked up to the front door and Harry knocked with the brass knocker that was hanging in the center. They heard the sound of several locks shifting, and a moment later Andromeda opened the door.

"Hello," Harry said.

"Hello, dear," Andromeda said, pulling a smile onto her worn face. "I'm so glad you could come."

"I hope you don't mind, but I brought Ginny along," Harry said.

"Of course not," Andromeda said, turning towards Ginny. "How is your family doing, dear? I know they've been through a lot these past months."

"They're doing better," Ginny replied. "Mum's starting to get back to her normal routine…I think it helps having us around."

"Yes," Andromeda nodded. "She's a strong woman. All of you are very strong."

"They are," Harry agreed. "How have you been, Andromeda?"

"Please, call me Andy," Andromeda said.

"Andy," Harry corrected. "Have you been alright here?"

"It's been an adjustment," Andy said heavily. "And it's been quite hard…I daresay if I didn't have Teddy, I don't know what I'd do. I know you wanted to come see him earlier, Harry, so I do appreciate you waiting this long. I just needed time."

"Of course," Harry nodded. "I understand."

"You've waited long enough now, though, haven't you?" Andy said. "Come on, he should just be starting to wake from his afternoon nap."

She led Harry and Ginny into the sitting room, where a cot had been set up in the middle of the room. Inside, a small infant with a tuff of purple hair was beginning to squirm, and started to let out a few whimpers.

"Here he is," Andy said proudly, gently picking up the child. "This is Teddy."

Harry stared down at the baby, feeling such a surge of emotions that he felt his knees buckle.

"He looks just like Tonks," Ginny whispered.

"He's got Remus' eyes, though," Harry said softly, still staring down at Teddy in awe.

"Yes, he's the perfect combination of the two," Andy nodded solemnly.

Teddy, who had stopped fussing the moment his grandmother picked him up, was now looking up at Harry and Ginny with a curious expression.

"Would you like to hold him?" Andy asked Harry.

"Yes," Harry said at once. "Yes, I'd love to."

Harry moved onto the couch, and Andy carefully transferred Teddy into his arms.

"Mind his head," Andy told him. "Yes, just like that…"

Harry smiled as Teddy reached for his finger, grasping it tightly in his hand. "Hi Teddy," Harry said. "I'm your godfather."

Teddy babbled happily, still holding tightly to Harry's finger. He closed his eyes, and his hair suddenly turned a shade of bright blue, causing the child to giggle.

"He does that when he's happy," Andy commented. "He seems to love you…I knew he would. Oh, he's probably hungry; would you like to feed him?"

"I'd love to," Harry said at once, his eyes never leaving Teddy.

"I'll go warm his milk," Andy said, turning and heading off to the kitchen.

"He's so small," Ginny said, sitting down next to Harry.

"Well seeing as he's about three months old…" Harry said.

"I _know_ , but I still didn't know they were this small when they're young," Ginny said, tickling the bottoms of Teddy's feet.

"Here you are," Andy said, returning with a bottle, which she handed off to Harry. "Now, gently place it into his mouth; he'll start sucking on his own. After a few seconds you'll have to stop and burp him."

"Alright," Harry said, somewhat nervously. He placed the bottle at Teddy's lips, and sure enough, the infant latched on and began gulping up the milk.

"And now burp him," Andy instructed. "Put him right over your shoulder there and gently pat his back."

"You're quite the natural," Ginny observed as Harry carefully handled the baby.

"You are," Andy agreed. "Have you handled babies before?"

"No," Harry said as he patted Teddy's back. "Never."

Suddenly, Teddy gave a large belch, and Harry felt something warm and sticky on his shoulder.

"Sorry, I should've warned you that he does that sometimes," Andy said, quickly taking Teddy from Harry. "I'm afraid he's spat-up all over your shirt."

"I've got it," Harry said, pulling out his wand as Ginny giggled. He pointed his wand at the stain on his shirt, and the mess instantly vanished. "There. Good as new."

"Well, I'm glad to see you're not squeamish," Andy said. "This little one is very messy. You'll be seeing far worse than that, I promise you. Now, if that hasn't ruined your appetites, would you like to come into the kitchen for some tea?"

"Yes, thank you," Harry nodded, and him and Ginny followed Andy into the small kitchen. She set Teddy down in a playpen that had been set up in the corner, and then pointed her wand at a kettle on the stove.

"He's a lot of work," Andy said, smiling fondly at Teddy. "But he's certainly worth it."

"He is," Harry nodded. "He's perfect."  
"He really is," Ginny said. "Such a handsome baby."

"Thank you," Andy said, handing the two cups of steaming tea.

"Andy…I don't ever want to impede on your time with Teddy," Harry started. "But I just want to let you know that I'd like to be as involved in Teddy's life as possible."

"I'd love for that," Andy said, sitting down at the table with him and Ginny. "I'm not as young as I was when I was raising Dora, you know. I daresay I won't have the energy to keep up with this little one all of the time, especially once he gets older. He'll need someone like you."

She turned a stared sadly at Teddy, who was busying himself with some of his toys in his playpen.

"I am worried, though," she whispered. "About when he's older and starts asking questions about his parents. How on earth do I even begin to explain it to him? Harry, I-I was told that the muggles you were raised with, er, didn't do a good job of that, did they?"

"No," Harry said. "They only told me my parents died in a car crash. It was Hagrid who told me who they were and how they died, when I was eleven."

"Ah," Andy said softly, looking down at her mug.

"I would've liked to have known the truth, though," Harry said. "Even if it would've been painful. All I wanted when I was younger was to know who my parents were. I knew there was no way they could ever come back…but I still just wanted to know about them."

"Of course Teddy will know all about them," Andy said at once. "He'll know they were heroes; I'll be sure of it."

"So will I," Harry nodded.

Andy looked up with him, tears shining in her eyes. "You're going to be a brilliant godfather, Harry. Teddy is very lucky to have you in his life."


	47. Chapter 47

"Share a room? No way!" James exclaimed down at the Potter's table during breakfast.

"You don't have a say in it, unfortunately," Ginny said simply, sliding a plate of bacon in front of her son.

"I don't want to share a room with James!" Albus frowned. "He snores."

"Shut up, I do not!" the nine-year old snapped. "Dad, do we really have to share a room? Tell mum she's being ridiculous."

"Watch it," Harry warned, pouring Lily a glass of juice while cleaning up the spill from her first attempt to pour it herself. "You two will both do what she says. Besides, you all have been so excited about Uncle Charlie coming to stay with us for a few days."

"We _are_ ," Albus said. "We love Uncle Charlie."

"Well he needs a place to sleep, doesn't he?" Ginny pointed out. "Which is why he'll be staying up in Albus' room."

"Albus is going to ruin all of my stuff," James said. "I've just got my Chocolate Frog card collection just the way I like it."

"James' room smells like a dungbomb went off in it!" Albus added. "I'll suffocate in there!"

"Enough," Ginny said firmly. "You both are going to share a room for five days, and that's final."

"It won't be that bad," Harry said. "Maybe you'll both enjoy bunking together so much you'll want to make this move permanent."

"Fat chance," Albus and James both said at once.

….

"You're not allowed to step one toe over this line," James said to Albus as he laid down a strip of brightly colored Spellotape down the middle of his bedroom. "Got it?"

"Why would I want to come any closer to you than I have to be right now?" Albus scoffed from the camping bed that was set up on the other side of the room.

"Just stay over there," James said, rolling his eyes as he flopped down on his bed, picking up a quaffle and tossing against his wall so he could catch it as it bounced back. Each time the quaffle hit the wall, it made a loud thumping sound.

Albus, who had been trying to do his homework assigned from the muggle primary school he attended, let out a groan of frustration. "Do you mind?"

"Mind what?" James asked, still tossing the quaffle.

"I'm trying to do my homework here!" Albus said. "How can I focus on fractions if you keep throwing that ball against the wall?"

"Pfft, you actually do your homework?" James snickered. "Why on earth would you do that?"

"Because it's _homework_ ," Albus frowned. "We're supposed to."

"The whole point of that junk is to prepare you for secondary school," James said. "We're not going to secondary school, we're going to Hogwarts. What am I going to need to know about fractions for at Hogwarts?"

"When you measure ingredients for potions?" Albus suggested.

"I can use magic to measure them," James shrugged.

"But what if-"

"Hey, I know why _you'd_ be concerned about your work at muggle school," James grinned. "It's because you're sitting over there at eight-years old and still haven't shown an ounce of magic yet. You're worried that when they announce that you're a squib, you'll have to just continue on to secondary school."

"I'm not a squib!" Albus shouted, slamming his book in anger. "Take it back!"

He got up and crossed over to James' bed, batting the quaffle out of his hand.

"Hey!" James yelled. "Stop that! And you crossed over the line! Get back on your side!"

"Take back the squib comment first!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"I'm down in the _garden_ , and I can hear the two of you arguing," Harry said, coming into the bedroom. " _What_ is going on?"

"James said I'm a squib!" Albus told his father.

"Tattle," James muttered.

"James, how many times have we told you not to tease your brother like that?" Harry said sternly. "You've just lost the television for a week."

"Thanks," James sneered to Albus.

"You both need to keep it down," Harry said. "Lily's going to be going to bed soon."

"I _was_ keeping it down," Albus said. "I was trying to do my homework, but James keeps insisting that I'm wasting my time."

"Don't you have homework of your own to do?" Harry asked his eldest son, raising an eyebrow. "That last progress report that you brought home wasn't looking too sharp."

"Dad, come on, we both know that stuff doesn't actually matter," James said. "You and mum only enrolled us so we'd get 'exposure to the muggle world'."

"We put you in muggle school you could get a chance to exercise your brain properly before going off to Hogwarts," Harry said firmly. "It's not going to be just wand work and dueling when you get there. You'll need to know how to write reports and find information and comprehend what you read."

"And you need to know math too, right?" Albus added.

"Right," Harry nodded. "So James, instead of bothering your brother, go and start on your own homework."

"You," James said to Albus as Harry left the room. "Are the world's biggest prat. Now look at what you've done; I'll have him and mum breathing down my neck about homework for weeks now!"

"So then just do your homework," Albus frowned.

"You've been hanging around Rosie far too much," James said, shaking his head in disgust.

…

"Mum! Dad! You cannot make me share a room for Albus anymore!" James exclaimed a couple mornings later as he burst into Harry and Ginny's bedroom, where the couple was laying asleep. Or rather, they _were_ asleep, until their son's interruption.

"You've _got_ to be kidding me," Harry groaned, slowly sitting up and looking at the clock on his nightstand table. "It's six in the morning."

"I know that! You think _I_ want to be awake at this hour?" James said. "It's Saturday; I'm _supposed_ to be sleeping until noon. But your son is making that impossible."

"Harry, go deal with it," Ginny yawned, falling back against her pillows.

"Why me?" Harry asked.

"Because you're a wonderful husband who's courteous enough to let his wife sleep a few more hours," Ginny said simply.

"Right," Harry said, rolling his eyes, though he pushed back his covers and stood up out of bed. "Alright, what's the problem?"

"Go see for yourself," James said.

Harry followed James back to his bedroom, where the light was shining brightly, and Albus was sitting on his camping bed, playing a very loud hand-held video game.

"He woke me up with all that noise," James told his father. " _And_ he just _had_ to turn on the lights. I was nearly blinded."

"Albus, _what_ are you doing?" Harry asked.

"Oh, morning dad," Albus said, looking up at Harry.

"Al, it's six, everybody is _asleep_ ," Harry said.

"I like waking up early," Albus shrugged, looking back down at his game. "Ah-ha! Got that alien!"

"Your brother was trying to sleep still," Harry said. "You woke him up."

"I have the volume down low," Albus shrugged.

"That's _low_?" James exclaimed. "Just turn it off so I can _try_ to go back to sleep."

"No, I've been trying to beat this level for weeks," Albus said. "Go sleep down in the living room or something."

"You can't kick me out of my own bedroom!" James said loudly. "Dad!"

"Albus, either turn that game off and go to sleep, or go play it downstairs," Harry said.

"No, moving downstairs will wreck my concentration," Albus said, still staring intently at the game. "I'm at a very critical part of this game where-hey!"

Harry had walked over to the bed and pulled the game out of his son's hands.

"Dad! I was almost at the end of the game!" Albus cried. "Now I'll have to start all over again!"

"Then next time listen to me when I ask you to do something," Harry told him firmly. "You'll get this back in a few days. Now keep it down at least until the sun comes out."

"Nice going!" Albus fumed as Harry left the bedroom. "Now I've lost my momentum. It'll take me ages to get back to that point in the game. Hope you're happy!"

"Thrilled," James yawned, climbing back into his bed. "Now turn the lights off and shut up, will you."

…

"They're called Hydropods," Fred told James as he handed him a small bag. "My dad's just finished them. Now we just need to see how well they work."

"Cool," James grinned. "What do they do?"

"You drop one into some body of water," Fred explained. "Can be as large as a lake, or small as a cup. After a minute, the pod goes off, and all the water that the pod has absorbed floats up into the sky and rains down on whoever is unlucky enough to be under it. You can make it rain in your living room, bedroom, or unproductively boring class lesson."

"That's genius!" James exclaimed. "I'll try it at dinner tonight."

"Mum and dad told you no more pranks at meal times," Albus said, looking up from his comic book on his bed across the room.

"Sorry, Fred, I've been living with the world's biggest tattle for the past three days," James said, rolling his eyes. "It's been a nightmare. Albus, don't you mention anything about this to mum and dad, or I'll tell them it was you who broke their goblin-made picture frame."

"But that wasn't me," Albus frowned. "It was _you_."

"They don't have to know that," James shrugged.

"Everything alright in here?" Ginny asked, coming into the room.

"Yup!" James said at once. "Right Al?"

"Right," Albus said, nodding.

"Fred, your dad just Flooed," Ginny told her nephew. "He wants me to bring you back to the shop to help him close up."

"Okay," Fred said, gathering up his stuff. "See you two later."

"I should send some of these to Teddy," James said thoughtfully as Fred and his mother left the room. "See how they play out at Hogwarts."

"Teddy's just been made a Prefect," Albus said. "He won't want to be getting in trouble by pranking."

"Just because you're too dull to pull pranks, doesn't mean Teddy wont," James said, putting the Hydropods on his nightstand.

"I'm not dull!"

"Afraid you are," James smirked, settling back down on his bed and picking up his quaffle and beginning to toss it against his wall again.

"Will you knock it off with that stupid quaffle?" Albus said loudly. "Do you have any idea how annoying it is listening to it hit the wall over, and over, and over again?"

"It's my room; you can't tell me what I can and can't do in _my_ room," James frowned.

"But you're doing it _just_ to annoy me," Albus pointed out.

"So what if I am?" James smirked.

"That's it!" Albus snapped, stepping across the room and making to grab the quaffle from his brother.

"Cut it out!" James said, quickly jumping up and holding the quaffle out of Albus' reach.

"You cut it out!" Albus retorted.

"I don't have to cut anything out!"

"Oh yes you do!"

"And what do you think you're doing on my half of the room anyway?" James frowned, still holding the quaffle up. "I said you couldn't cross over the tape!"

"Then put the quaffle away and I'll go back on my side!" Albus said.

"No!"

Albus glared up at the quaffle, and before James could react, the quaffle flew out of his hand, soaring right into the nightstand, where it knocked the glass of water that had been sitting out all over the bag of Hydropods Fred had just given him.

"Hey!" Albus exclaimed, a huge grin breaking out across his face. "That was it! That was my first sign of magic! Ha! Told you I wasn't a squib! I-"

Albus was cut off, though, as the Hydropods suddenly began to enlarge rapidly.

"Uh-oh…" James said, his eyes widening. "That can't be good."

"Make them stop!" Albus said anxiously.

"I don't know how to make them stop!" James said. "Use your magic again!"

"I don't know _how_ to use it!" Albus said. "Er, maybe we should go and get dad and-"

The Hydropods, at that point roughly the size of grapefruits, gave a low moan and then, without any warning, a large, very forceful jet of water burst from them, spraying across the bedroom. The window shattered at once, and the plaster of the wall gave a sickening crack.

"Oh no, no, no," James moaned as the Hydropods emptied. The boys ran over to assess the damage.

"There's a hole in the wall!" Albus gasped, pointing at the cauldron-sized gap in the wall. "You can see out into the yard from it. Blimey, those pods must've been strong."

"What do you reckon the chances are that dad didn't just hear that?" James asked lamely. Before Albus could answer, however, the bedroom door flew open, and Harry stepped into the room.

" _What_ going on up here?" he demanded. "What was that noise I just-"

He spotted the broken window and hole in the wall and took a step back in shock.

"Um, well, good news, dad!" James said quickly. "Albus isn't a squib!"

"Yeah, I used my magic!" Albus nodded. "It was the first time!"

"And it had to be to destroy the house?" Harry asked, weakly.

"That was James' fault," Albus said.

"My fault?" James snapped. "It was all _your_ fault!"

"No! It was-"

"Enough!" Harry said. "You were both up here; you _both_ played a part in this."

"Fine," James sighed. "What's our punishment?"

"Whatever your mum decides," Harry said, shaking his head, still looking completely flabbergasted at the damage his two sons had caused.

"Aw man, she'll have us working like house elves around here for months," Albus muttered. "Thanks a lot, James."

"Don't you-"

"If you two even _think_ about starting another row right now…" Harry warned.

Albus and James fell silent at once.

Harry pulled out his wand and gave it a quick flick, causing a vacuum and dustpan to come soaring into the room. "Well go on then, get to work on cleaning this mess up so I can have a proper look at that hole in the wall. The window will be easy enough for me to fix, but I have a feeling I'll have to call your Aunt Hermione over here to help repair the plaster."

"We're sorry, dad," Albus said. "It was an accident."

"Yeah, we didn't mean to do it," James said.

"I know," Harry sighed. "But you've _got_ to learn to get along. Look at what your constant fighting has done! You two are _brothers_ ; you need to start acting like it."

And with that, Harry turned and headed back downstairs. He heard a loud pop in the kitchen, and a second later Ginny walked into the sitting room.

"You need to go up there and figure out a punishment for the boys," Harry said, collapsing onto the couch.

"Why?" Ginny frowned. "What'd they do?"

"Oh I'll let you see for yourself," Harry said. "But you know what? Those two are _never_ sharing a room again unless we decide we want this house to be fully destroyed."


	48. Chapter 48

"You would think balancing Headmistress duties with being the Transfiguration professor would've inticed McGonagall to lessen our workload a bit," Ginny sighed as she flipped through her textbook while she lounged on the sofa with Harry. "She assigned us almost ten chapters to read over the holiday break."

"She can't honestly expect anybody to read all of that," Harry said. "Why don't you just skim it? That's what Ron and I always did with those long reading assignments she gave us."

"And Hermione let you get away with that?" Ginny smirked. "I tried to skive out of Charms class once and she gave me a look that could rival mum's."

"Ron and I became immune to those looks around our second year," Harry told her, tossing aside the _Daily Prophet_ that he had been reading. "Come on, you only have a few days left before you have to go back to Hogwarts for the second term. Why don't you forget about Transfiguration for a bit; we could go out for a fly."

"It's freezing outside," Ginny pointed out.

"Yes, but seeing as you're about to become a professional Quidditch player, you'll need to get used to playing in such tough conditions," Harry smiled.

"I haven't even heard back from those recruiters," Ginny told him. "Don't write me off as a professional just yet."

"You'll hear back," Harry told her. "You're the best flyer Hogwarts has seen in a long time."

"Better then yourself then?" Ginny asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well you have managed to beat me in our last few races, haven't you?" Harry chuckled. "I think it's fair to say you're the better flyer."

"Well thank you, I'm glad you've managed to come to terms with that," Ginny smiled. "But I'd still rather not deal with the snow right now. I could use a break though…where's Ron?"

"Having lunch with Hermione and her parents," Harry replied.

"Think he'll be a while then?" Ginny asked.

"I'd assume so," Harry said. "He said they were going back to her parents' house afterwards."

"So you're saying your flat will be empty for bit longer?" Ginny asked, moving closer to Harry. "Seems a bit silly to waste such an opportunity reading here on the couch…or flying around on broomsticks."

"It does," Harry said at once, putting his arms around her. "You have any better ideas?"

"A few," Ginny said, craning her neck to kiss him.

Harry ran his fingers through her hair, and Ginny wrapped her arms around his neck, moving herself comfortably onto his lap.

"Bloody hell, I've got to come home to _this_?"

"What are you doing home already?" Harry frowned, irritated as Ginny pulled away from him. "I thought you were going to be with Hermione and her parents all day."

"I was," Ron said simply.

"You were hardly gone two hours," Ginny said. "That's not 'all day'."

"Well _sorry_ to break up your snogging by coming home to my own flat," Ron said, tossing his cloak onto the chair and collapsing down onto it.

"Is everything alright?" Harry asked, noticing his best mate seemed a bit off.

"Other than my eyes being scarred from walking in on you two, you mean?"

"We were only kissing, you baby," Ginny huffed.

"I'm fine," Ron said, ignoring Ginny's comment. "But…Harry, you-you've never been to Hermione's house, have you?"

"No, actually, I haven't," Harry shrugged. "Why?"

"Well, I hadn't been either, until today," Ron said, fidgeting with the end of his shirt. "Whenever she's come to stay for the summer, she'd always meet us at King's Cross station and we'd pick her up."

"What was wrong with her house then?" Ginny asked.

"Nothing was _wrong_ ," Ron said slowly. "It was…It was huge."

"Huge?" Ginny repeated.

"At least two of the Burrow could've fit inside of it," Ron mumbled. "And it was _nice_. They had all of this nice furniture and muggle gadgets…I thought the television you bought for this place was big Harry…you should've seen the one in their sitting room. They-They're rich. I mean the place wasn't quite Malfoy Manor or anything but her family has definitely got money."

"Well…I guess that makes sense," Harry said. "Both of her parents are dentists, after all. Dentists make decent livings."

"They do?" Ginny said, confused. "Don't they just look at your teeth?"

"Well it takes a bit of practice," Harry said. "I think you have to go to university for several years."

"Oh," Ron said. "I didn't know that. She-She never mentioned that she-she had money."

"Well what was she supposed to do? Make an announcement about that in the middle of the common room?" Ginny frowned.

"Ron, it's Hermione," Harry said. "You've known her for years. You love her. Why are you so upset about the fact that her parents have money?"

"I'm not upset!" Ron said, defensive.

"You sound quite snappy for someone who's not upset," Ginny said simply. "It really isn't that big of a deal. Harry's right; you've known Hermione for years."

"That's not the point," Ron said. "I know she's not ever going to be the type to act like a Malfoy or something and be all stuck up because her family has money. But…"

"But what then?" Harry asked.

"You wouldn't get it," Ron mumbled, getting to his feet. "I'll be in my room. And keep it down out here, will you? The silencing charms we placed on the walls are starting to wear off, and I'd rather not have to hear the pair of you groping each other."

"He's really got his knickers in a twist, doesn't he?" Ginny commented as Ron headed back to his bedroom.

"Yeah," Harry agreed. "Maybe I should go see if I can get him to tell me what's really bothering him."

"Mmm, how about you do that later?" Ginny suggested, wrapping her arms back around him. "He'll want to brute on his own for a bit. Besides, we _were_ in the middle of something, Potter…"

"You're right," Harry grinned. "And I'd like to get back to it."

…

"Hi Harry," Hermione said later that evening as Harry opened the front door of the flat, letting her in.

"Hi," Harry greeted her.

"Sorry to come by so late," Hermione said, hanging up her coat by the front door. "I hope I didn't disturb you."

"I was just doing some paperwork," Harry said. "It's amazing…we went on one mission last week that lasted about six hours. I've been filling out forms for the past two days."

"Well I'm sure they're very important," Hermione said. "Is Ginny here?"

"No, she went back to the Burrow," Harry said. "She said I was distracting her from that mountain of reading you guys have to do before you go back for the new term."  
"I don't doubt that you were," Hermione smiled. "Well, is Ron still awake then?"

"I think so," Harry replied. "His light is on, at least."

"Ah," Hermione nodded. "Um, Harry? When Ron came back to your flat after having lunch with my parents, did he seem a bit, er, off to you?"

"What-What do you mean?" Harry asked lamely.

"Well, lunch at the restaurant went fine," Hermione said. "But shortly after we arrived back at my house, he started acting a bit funny. Said he reckoned he was coming down with something, but I'm not quite sure if I believe that."

"What makes you say that?" Harry frowned.

"I know Ron," Hermione said simply. "And I also know you too, and I can tell by the way you're acting that you know exactly what's bothering Ron."

Harry sighed. "Fine. Just go and talk to him."

Hermione headed back to Ron's bedroom. Sure enough, she saw a beam of light shining through the crack at the bottom of the door.

"Ron?" she said, knocking gently at the door.

"It's open," Ron called through.

"What are you up to?" Hermione asked, letting herself into the bedroom.

"Oh, um, nothing really," Ron said from his bed, where he tossed aside an issue of _Quidditch Quarterly._ "Just reading the latest news on the Cannons. They got a new set of Beaters…may help them win a game for a change."

"Are you feeling any better?" Hermione asked. "You know, from this afternoon?"

"Oh, um, yes," Ron said, clearing his throat awkwardly. "Loads better. Er, sorry about running out like that. I hope your parents understood."

"They did," Hermione smiled, sitting down next to him. "But…maybe you can help _me_ understand what's going on."

"What do you mean?" Ron frowned.

"Ron…what's wrong?" Hermione asked. "I know perfectly well that you weren't really sick this afternoon."

Ron didn't reply.

"I thought you weren't nervous around my parents anymore," Hermione continued. "I've told you a million times; they adore you."

"I like your parents too, Hermione," Ron sighed. "But…how come you never told me you had money like that?"

Hermione blinked. "Excuse me?"

"I always assumed your family was better off than mine, of course," Ron muttered. "Who isn't? But I didn't expect-Your house is just so big and nice and you've got all those fancy paintings and vases and-"

"Ron, stop," Hermione said firmly. "You're really upset because of my parents house?"

"I'm not upset; why does everybody think I'm upset?" Ron said quickly.

"Well then what is it?" Hermione said.

"I'm worried, alright?" Ron blurted out.

"Worried?" Hermione frowned. "Worried about _what_?"

"That I won't ever be able to provide you a life like what you're used to," Ron said softly. "That I won't ever be able to afford to have a home like your parents, and you'll wise up and come to your senses and realize you've made a horrible mistake-ow!"

Hermione had taken the magazine that Ron had tossed aside and whacked him in the shoulder with it.

"First of all, I do _not_ need you to 'provide for me'," Hermione said firmly. "I'll be fully capable of providing for myself once I graduate Hogwarts. Second of all…do you honestly think I _care_ what kind of a home we have, Ron? I spent most of last year camped out in a tent with you, didn't I?"

"Fair point," Ron mumbled, massaging his shoulder.

"And as for me coming to my senses…I'm the brightest witch of my age," she said, smiling as she took Ron's hand in hers. "I've always got my senses. I love you so much, Ron. Why on earth would I ever want to leave you?"

Ron squeezed her hand. "Sometimes I just realize how lucky I am to have you, Hermione. And I can't help but think that it'll somehow all go wrong."

Hermione leaned up and kissed him. "Well, for what it's worth, you've been quite good at making everything go right since we've been together."


	49. Chapter 49

"Here's a letter from Albus," Ginny said, coming into the kitchen and handing Harry a parcel. "He seems to be having the time of his life in Romania with Charlie."

"I'm glad," Harry grinned. "Maybe we'll have another dragon breeder in the family."

"Maybe," Ginny agreed. "So, are you going to handle lunch or am I? I'll warn you straight away, though, I'm not in the mood for cooking, so if you leave it to me, it'll be take-out from the Leaky Cauldron."

"Well, that was going to be my option too," Harry told her. "But seeing as Lily hasn't even rolled out of bed to have breakfast yet…"

"She's not awake?" Ginny frowned. "Harry! I told you to make sure she was up by ten. That girl is going to sleep her summer away."

"It's her first week home from Hogwarts, I'm sure she's just tired," Harry reasoned.

"Keep your pants on, you two, I'm awake," Lily yawned, coming into the kitchen. "What's for breakfast?"

"It's after noon, Lily, breakfast is far over," Ginny said, rolling her eyes. "I'm going to get lunch from Diagon Alley. What would you like?"

"Anything's fine, I suppose," Lily shrugged.

"Alright well, I'll be back in a bit then," Ginny said, giving Harry a quick kiss as she headed out to the fireplace.

"So," Harry said to his daughter as she poured herself a glass of juice. "Did you at least sleep well?

"Yeah," Lily nodded. "It's just so _quiet_ around here this summer. James moved to his own flat, Albus is in Romania…normally their arguing wakes me up before eight."

"Ah, that's right," Harry chuckled. "You've never known life here without the pair of them. It can actually be quite peaceful sometimes."

"It's weird," Lily muttered.

"Do you miss you brothers then?" Harry asked, raising his eyebrow.

"No!" Lily snapped.

"Whatever you say," Harry said knowingly.

"What am I supposed to do this summer anyway?" Lily mumbled. "James and Albus are gone, Hugo is with his other grandparents until the end of the month, Rose is busy studying for her stupid N.E. , Lorcan and Lysander are with their parents in Peru, Roxy is busy at the shop…I'm all alone! The only thing I have to do is start on my summer work for next term, and I'm not starting _that_ until at least August, no matter how desperate I get."

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that," Harry said.

"I'm going to die of boredom, dad," Lily moaned.

"Well, if you like, you can come up to Hogwarts with me today," Harry told her.

"Why are you going up to the school?" Lily asked.

"I'm having tea with Hagrid since I'm off at the Auror office," Harry said. "I'm sure he won't mind if you come along."

"Oh, well I guess that sounds fun," Lily said. "I do miss Hagrid."

"Great, we'll leave once your mum gets back with lunch," Harry said.

"You know, I really _would_ prefer breakfast right about now," Lily said, smiling sweetly at Harry. "Could you make me some eggs please, daddy?"

Harry smirked. "Your mum will murder me if she comes home with your lunch and finds you eating eggs."

Lily continued to stare at him with the look that she knew perfectly well he could never refuse.

Harry sighed. "Fine, alright."

"Thanks, daddy," Lily smiled.

…

"McGonagall sent me to let you in," Neville said as he waved his wand at the iron gates in front of Hogwarts, causing them to slowly swing open. "She's in interviews for our new Astronomy professor at the moment."

"Can't believe Sinistra retired," Harry said. "She's been teaching for so long, I thought one day her ghost would wind up filling the spot."

"So did I," Neville grinned. "But she's earned a peaceful retirement, I'd say. Hello, Lily."

"Hi, Professor Longbottom," Lily replied.

"Lil, the terms over," Neville chuckled. "You don't have to call me professor now, remember?"

"Sorry, Neville," Lily smiled. "Habit."

"How's Hannah?" Harry asked. "And Alice?"

"They're both doing wonderful," Neville replied. "Alice got her Hogwarts letter a couple of nights ago; got to hand deliver it to her myself. She's officially starting in September."

"That's brilliant!" Harry said.

"Oh, I hope she's in Gryffindor," Lily said.

"Hannah's convinced she'll be a Hufflepuff like she was," Neville said. "I could see that, I suppose. But then again, doesn't really matter. Speaking of Hannah and Alice, would you like to come by for dinner tonight since you're around? Ginny as well."

"Well Ginny's in London for the next couple of nights," Harry said. "She left right before we came here. She just got assigned to do all of the interviews for the National team players. But Lil and I would love to join you."

"Great, I'll see you later then," Neville said, giving them a fleeting wave as he set off towards the greenhouses.

Harry and Lily walked across the grounds, seeing Hagrid's hut coming into view.

"Witherwings!" Lily said excitedly, quickening her pace as she spotted the Hippogriff laying out by Hagrid's front steps.

Upon hearing his name, the Hippogriff picked up his head and slowly stood up. Lily slowed her approach and carefully bowed down. Witherwings instantly bowed down as well, and Lily quickly began stroking his feathers.

"Hi there, Buckbeak," Harry smiled, catching up to his daughter. He gave a quick bow as well, which was readily returned by the creature.

"Why do you and Uncle Ron and Hermione insist on calling his that?" Lily frowned.

"Long story," Harry told her just as the front door of the hut opened.

"There yer' are, Harry!" Hagrid said cheerfully, coming down the steps. "How you've been? It's been ages since I saw yer last."

"I know, it's been real busy down at the Ministry," Harry said. "This is the first day I've had off in months. Hope you don't mind, but I brought Lily with me."

"Course I don't mind," Hagrid beamed as Lily raced over and hugged him. "It's been real quiet round here without having to chase her out of the forest at least once a week."

"What?" Harry frowned, glancing at his daughter.

"Hugo keeps daring me to try and catch a bowtruckle," Lily defended.

"How are Albus and James then?" Hagrid asked, quickly changing the subject.

"James is officially moved into his own flat," Harry replied. "And he's starting practices with the Tornados soon. Albus just left for Romania to help Charlie out with the dragons for the summer."

"That's right, he tol' me all about that," Hagrid sighed. "Blimey I envy him. I keep meaning to make my way over there to see Norberta. Hopefully Albus will look afer' her though. Anyway, before we have tea, you two mind helping me with somethin' in the forest? It'll be like ol' times fer you, Harry."

"Sure, what is it?" Harry grinned.

"Gotta bring some food to the thestrals," Hagrid said, nodding over at a large bag of raw meat sitting out by his garden. "It's a lot harder for them to find food lately because its been so hot. We won't need to go very deep into the forest; they've been staying close to the front."

"Thestrals?" Lily said as she followed Hagrid and her father towards the forest. "What are those?"

"They pull the school carriages up from the train," Harry told her.

"Oh, you mean they're the invisible horses," Lily nodded. "Cool, I never knew they had names."

"You'll be learnin' all about thestrals come the new term," Hagrid told her as they entered the forest. "I always save 'em fer me fifth years."

"So how do we know when we've found them then?" Lily asked, looking around as Hagrid set down the sack of meat. "Since we can't see them."

"They're coming," Harry said, looking over to his right. "There are quite a few little ones."

"Newest one was born just last week," Hagrid beamed proudly as he pulled out a large slab of meat. "Go on, then. They won' bite."

Lily stared as she watched her father and Hagrid hold out pieces of meat, startled as she saw chunks start to disappear. It was strange, though…it was almost as if Hagrid and her father could _see_ the invisible creatures.

"How do you know they're there?" Lily asked again. "If you can't see them."

Harry gave her a small smile. "Hagrid and I can see them, sweetheart."

"Really?" Lily said. "Well how come I can't? I want to see them!"

Hagrid cleared this throat, suddenly becoming very interested in the thestral he was feeding.

Harry stepped over to his daughter, handing her a small piece of meat and guiding her hand up to the thestral's mouth, where Lily watched in amazement as it was consumed.

"The only people who can see thestrals," Harry explained softly. "Are those who've seen death. That's why you can't see them, Lily."

Lily let out a gasp. "What?"

She instinctively stepped back, suddenly feeling quite frightened. "So that means that you've seen somebody…" She stopped, realizing that of course her father had seen death. He had been through the war; he was head of the Auror department.

"Yes," Harry told her. "I could see them since I started my fifth year…After Cedirc Diggory was killed."

Lily didn't say anything.

"They won't hurt you," Harry told her. "They get a bad rep because of the death thing. They're some of the most gentle and kind creatures you'll find in the forest."

"They are?"

"They're brilliant with directions too," Harry nodded. "You give them a location, and they'll know how to get there."

Lily stared ahead, watching her father stroke the air.

"Even so," she said softly. "I don't want to ever see them."

"I hope you don't," Harry told her, reaching over and pulling her closer to him. "But the thestrals are nothing to be afraid of. Really."

Lily nodded. She was imagining how it must've felt for her father to suddenly be able to see these creatures when he was younger.

"Come on," Harry told her, giving her shoulder a squeeze. "Let's go finish helping Hagrid feed them."

"Alright," Lily said. She made to pull away from her father, but then, in one swift motion, she threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly.


	50. Chapter 50

"Well Ron," Ginny said, coming into the Potter's living room, where her brother, Harry, and Hermione were sitting. "Did you know Harry and Hermione have been stepping out on us yet again?"

"What is it this time?" Ron smirked as Ginny tossed him a copy of _Witch Weekly_. A picture of Harry and Hermione leaving the Leaky Caldron was on the cover with the caption: _They can't seem to get enough of each other. The exclusive story on the Boy Who Lived's love affair with his fellow ministry worker and long-time "friend" Hermione Granger-Weasley._

"Shall we pack our bags then and let you two move in together?" Ginny grinned.

"Funny," Harry said, rolling his eyes.

" _Witch Weekly_ is really getting a bit lazy with their editing, it seems," Hermione said as Ron passed her the magazine. "Normally they use some charm to make it seem like the two of us are holding hands or something. I think this must've been taken when we went to Diagon Ally for lunch the other day, Harry."

"Probably," Harry agreed as Hermione tossed the magazine down on the coffee table. "Must've been after that four-hour meeting. Where'd you see this, Gin?"

"Melody from the _Prophet_ brought by a copy to my office," Ginny replied. "Asked me how I was handling my failing marriage."

"Failing marriage, huh?" Harry smiled, putting his arm around his wife. "Is that what we've been reduced to?"

"After last night, I'd say our marriage is anything _but_ failing," Ginny grinned, giving him a quick kiss.

"Shut it," Ron cringed. "We're sitting right here!"

"I know, unfortunately," Ginny snapped, getting to her feet. "Anyway, Hermione? Do you want to go shopping with me? I was going to have another go at navigating that muggle mall. I need to get the kids new trainers."

"Yes, I need to do that as well," Hermione said, getting to her feet and giving Ron a kiss.

"You fine with the kids for the rest of the afternoon?" Ginny asked Harry.

"Sure, it's only Lily and Hugo here anyway," Harry said. "They're up playing in her room. James is at Percy's with Molly and Lucy, and Rose and Albus wanted to help your dad take apart a muggle alarm system."

"I was wondering why it was so quiet," Ginny nodded. "Well then, we'll be back in a few hours."

"So what do we do for the rest of the afternoon on our own?" Ron asked Harry as the women headed out the front door.

"Dunno," Harry shrugged. "We could watch the television."

"Or," Ron grinned. "George gave me a bag of fireworks that he wants me to test out. He used a new charm that's supposed to make them much harder to fade away. I was going to pass them off to James to test, but seeing as he's not here…"

"You were going to give my nine-year old son fireworks?" Harry frowned.

"Oh relax, they're completely safe," Ron said. "Fred's our normal tester, but Angelina's really been cracking down. So for the time being, we'll be splitting the new products between Jamie and Louis."

"Better hope Ginny and Fleur don't find out," Harry said, rolling his eyes.

"Yes, that would be awful," Ron agreed. "But back to what I was saying. Since James is over at Percy's, wanna go test these fireworks out ourselves?"

"Ron, we're grown adults," Harry pointed out.

"Bloody hell, maybe you _are_ having an affair with Hermione," Ron scoffed. "You sound just like her. Fine, we'll just watch television then."

Harry reached for the remote. "Well…" he said slowly, contemplating Ron's offer. "There normally isn't anything on at this hour other than talk shows and dramas. And I suppose it would be safer for us to test those fireworks than one of the kids…Oh alright, get the fireworks. But we set them off in the yard behind the shed."

"There we go," Ron beamed, pulling a small sack out of his pocket.

"Go tell Hugo and Lily we'll be out back," Harry said.

"Oi! Hugo! Lily! Harry and I are going to be in the yard!" Ron yelled up the stairs.

"How on _earth_ does Hermione put up with you?" Harry frowned, massaging his ears.

"Dunno, she's a saint of a woman," Ron shrugged. "Then again, I suppose that's why she's running around with you."

….

"I think James hid my markers down here somewhere," Lily said to Hugo, as the two children went down to the living room a short while later.

"Why'd he hide them?" Hugo asked.

"I accidently got red marker on his new _Melvin_ comic," Lily replied. "While we're down here, you look for paper."  
"Alright," Hugo nodded. "I can't believe Aunt Luna is really going to put our pictures in the _Quibbler_! Wait until I tell Rose; she's gonna be so jealous."

"So are James and Albus," Lily grinned, looking through a set of drawers. "Ah-ha! Here are my markers! Did you find any paper yet?"

"No," Hugo said, looking around the coffee table. "Maybe there are some blank pages in this magazine, though. Hey! My mum's on the cover! So is your dad."

"Let me see," Lily said, rushing over to join him. "What's it about?"

" _The exclusive story on the Boy Who Lived's love affair with his fellow ministry worker and long-time "friend" Hermione Granger-Weasley_ ," Hugo read off the cover.

"Whoa, how'd you read all those big words?" Lily asked, impressed.

"Mum's been teaching me," Hugo said proudly.

"Well what's a love-affair?" Lily asked.

"Dunno," Hugo said, flipping open the magazine. "I think this is the story from the cover, though."

"Well go on and read it then, since you know all those words," Lily said.

"Alright, alright," Hugo said, looking down at the page. "Let's see…'It has been confirmed that on the afternoon of August 22nd, the famous Harry Potter and the high-ranking Ministry official Hermione Granger-Weasley were seen leaving the Leaky Cauldron together after several cozy rounds of drinks. The two were reported laughing flirtatiously and appeared to be enjoying one another's company. This is hardly the first time these two have been in such a situation, though. Just last month, Potter and Granger-Weasley were seen leaving a secluded office together at the Ministry of Magic after hours, and who could forget the instance earlier this year when Potter and Granger-Weasley shared an uncomfortably long embrace after Potter was named Head Auror. One could trace this history back even further, as the two were practically attached at the hip all throughout their time at Hogwarts. With all of this blatant evidence clearly pointing to a sizzling romance between the two, one can only wonder when the pair will finally come forward and officially announce their relationship. The other question that is surely burning in everyone's minds, though, is how Potter's wife, ex-Harpies Chaser Ginny Potter, and Granger-Weasley's husband, disgraced ex-Auror-turned joke shop associate, will take the news that their spouses are no longer in love with them. Sources report that Mrs. Potter was scene leaving the recent Tornado's match that she covered in a state that could only be described as heartbroken. More to follow on this hot, unfolding scandal.'"

"What's a scandal?" Lily asked.

"It's something that is wrong to do," Hugo told her. "Lily…this story is saying that my mum and your dad are in love! That-That can't be true…can it?"

"Well it wouldn't be in a magazine if it weren't true, would it?" Lily frowned.

"You're right," Hugo nodded. "Oh no…That means that our parents don't-don't love each other."

"I can't believe this," Lily said, shaking her head in shock. "What do you think is going to happen? Is my dad going to marry your mum or something? Oh, that's just gross!"

"Tell me about it," Hugo cringed. "But what about my dad?"

"And my mum!" Lily added anxiously.

"We can't let them go on with this," Hugo said firmly.

"You're right, Hugo," Lily agreed. "We'll tell them that they're being completely unfair and unreasonable."

"You think they'll listen to us?" Hugo asked.

"I hope so," Lily said sadly. "Otherwise I don't even want to think what's going to happen."

….

"I've got to say, shopping indoors is much more pleasant than dealing with the heat out in Diagon Ally this time of year," Ginny said as her and Hermione apperated back into the Potter's living room.

"Did you buy the entire place out?" Ron frowned, looking at the large bag in Ginny's arm.

"No," Ginny said, sitting down next to Harry. "But there was a new store that sold all sorts of electronics. And I remember you saying that you wanted one of those new movie-playing things for the television-"

"-A DVD player," Harry corrected her, grinning.

"Yes, one of those," Ginny said dismissively. "So I picked this one out for you!"

"Wow, Gin, that was really thoughtful of you," Harry said, opening up the bag and pulling. "Though, um, you know this is a radio."

"What? No it's not," Ginny said. "It says right there on the box; it plays CDs."

"CDs are what muggles keep music on," Harry said, amused. "They're different than DVDs, love."

"Oh," Ginny frowned.

"It's alright though, we could use one of these around here," Harry said, putting his arm around her. "Thank you, I love it. Think I'll set it up in the office."

"I brought this back for you," Hermione said, handing Ron a large pretzel. "I know you love those soft ones from the mall."

"Excellent!" Ron grinned. "You're the best, Hermione!"

"Are you all about ready to head over to the Burrow then?" Ginny asked. "Remember, mum's making dinner."

"Oh, is she making those potato things?" Ron asked through his mouth filled with pretzel. "I love those! I'm heading over now to try and snag some before George eats them all like last time."

"Is food all you think about?" Hermione smiled playfully.

"I think about you more," Ron smirked, giving her a quick kiss.

"Very smooth," Hermione laughed.

"I better go get James," Ginny said. "Percy, Audrey and the twins won't be going to mum's tonight; they're going to an award ceremony at the muggle hospital for Audrey, so I'm sure they're getting ready to leave."

"I guess we'll head over as soon as Lily and Hugo are ready then," Harry said. "Since Al and Rose are already there."

"Alright then," Ginny said, giving him a quick kiss. "See you in a bit."

"Bye dear," Hermione said, giving Ron a kiss as well.

"I think the kids are still up in Lil's room," Harry told Hermione as Ron and Ginny disapperated.

"Have they been up there the whole time Ginny and I were gone?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah, they've been really quiet," Harry nodded.

"And that's not suspicious to you?" Hermione asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'd be suspicious if it was James," Harry said. "Relax, Luna told the two of them that if they sent her some of their drawings, she'd put it in the next issue of the _Quibbler_. They're up there working on those."

"Oh, that was sweet of Luna," Hermione said. She picked up the radio that Ginny had bought for Harry. "She went into the electronics store while I was off looking at knitting patterns for my mum. Otherwise I would've shown where the actual DVD players were."

"It's alright, I was going to go to the mall soon myself and pick one up," Harry said. "I love Ginny, but she is pretty awful when it comes to muggle stuff. Other night I caught her trying to make toast in our new blender."

"I guarantee you Ron's worse," Hermione smiled. "We were over at my parents the other night, and he completely destroyed their new curtains trying to figure out how to turn on the vacuum cleaner."

"Ah well, the pair of them are getting better, I suppose," Harry shrugged. "Both of them know how to work the phone properly now."

"That's true," Hermione agreed, looking at her watch. "Come on, we should go tell Hugo and Lily to start getting ready so we don't keep Molly's dinner waiting."

"Right," Harry said. Just as he was about to head to the stairs, though, Lily and Hugo came down into the living room.

"Perfect timing," Harry said. "Go on and get your jackets. We have to head to your grandmum's for dinner now."

"That can wait," Lily said firmly, crossing her arms. "We have something we have to discuss with your two."

"That's right," Hugo nodded.

"Are we in trouble?" Hermione asked, amused.

"Yes," Hugo said.

"Er, what's this about?" Harry asked, confused.

"How come you guys are having a love affair?" Lily blurted out.

"A _what_?" Harry frowned, nearly falling backwards in shock.

"You guys aren't supposed to love each other!" Hugo said. "Mum, you're supposed to be in love with dad!"

"And you're supposed to love mummy!" Lily said to Harry.

"Oh! Harry, the magazine!" Hermione gasped. "They must've found it and read it!"

"That's right!" Lily nodded.

"How could you guys do that?" Hugo frowned, clearly very upset.

"Lily, Hugo, that article that you saw…it wasn't true," Harry said. "None of it."

"Things in magazines are always true," Lily said. "Otherwise people wouldn't put them in. Aunt Luna said the _Quibbler_ always makes sure the stories that it publishes aren't made up."

"Yes, well, unfortunately not all magazines are held to the Quibbler's, er standards," Hermione said. "This magazine has a very long history of fabricating stories."

"What does fabricate mean?" Lily asked.

"It means they make stuff up," Hugo told her.

"Blimey, he's definitely your son, Hermione," Harry grinned.

"That's right, Hugo," Hermione smiled. "See, that magazine just likes to sell stories that they think people will find interesting. And sometimes they think that making up ridiculous stories, like Uncle Harry and I being in love with each other, will make more people want to read the magazine."

"That's lying, though," Lily said.

"Yes, and it's not right, what they do," Harry said. "But unfortunately, it happens. That's why it's important to remember that just because something's written down, you shouldn't just accept it."

"So…you _do_ still love mummy then?" Lily asked Harry.

"Yes, Lily, I love your mum very, _very_ much," Harry smiled.

"And I love your dad just as much, Hugo," Hermione told her son. "We're sorry the magazine upset you both so much."

"That's okay, it's a dumb magazine," Lily said. "That's why we only like the _Quibbler,_ right Hugo?"

"Right," Hugo nodded. "Everything in the _Quibbler_ is true."

"I wouldn't necessarily say-" Hermione began, but Harry elbowed her in ribs.

"Let it be," Harry whispered as Lily and Hugo ran off to get their jackets. "I'd rather them believe in nargles than the garbage in _Witch Weekly_."

"I suppose that's a fair point," Hermione sighed.


	51. Chapter 51

"This tea Fleur brought back from France is really quite good," Hermione commented, sitting down next to Ginny in the sitting room of the Burrow, where Weasley-Potter families were currently gathered for their traditional Christmas Eve feast. "Have you tried some?"

"No," Ginny mumbled. "I'm not really in the mood for any."

"You should go out back to the yard and see the cutest snowmen Lily, Hugo, and Roxy have made," Hermione continued.

"I saw them already," Ginny said. "They're nice."

"Teddy managed to turn his hair red and green," Hermione went on. "Have you seen? It's very festive."

Ginny didn't reply.

"He'll be back soon," Hermione said softly. "Any day now, I'm sure."

"It's been four weeks," Ginny said heavily. "He's never been gone on a mission this long. He was supposed to be home by now."

"I know," Hermione said. "But sometimes the Auror missions have to be extended. Things come up."

Ginny clasped her hands together tightly. "I hate it when he's gone like this. I know he has to go, I know it's his job, but I hate not having any contact with him or knowing where he is…I-I would be told if something happened to him, wouldn't I?"

"Yes," Hermione said at once. "They would notify you immediately. But Ginny, you mustn't think like that. Harry's fine; he's just as anxious to get home."

"He's never been gone for Christmas," Ginny sighed. "The kids were expecting him to be home for Christmas, and now they're hardly looking forward to the morning at all…Hermione, you work in the department. Isn't there _something_ that you could do?"

"I'm sorry, but I don't even know where he is," Hermione said gently. "It was a top secret mission. Not many people know much about it."

Ginny nodded silently.

"There you two are," Molly said, walking into the sitting room. "Dinner is just about ready. Would one of you mind going out to the yard to tell the others to start washing up?"

"Of course," Hermione said, getting to her feet. "I'll do it."  
"Thank you, dear," Molly smiled. She turned to her daughter, who was still sitting miserably on the couch. "Still no word at all then?"

"He can't write me, mum," Ginny muttered. "So no. I still have no idea when my husband's finally going to be back."

Molly gave her a sympathetic look. "He'll be back soon, dear. Don't you worry."

"Right," Ginny sighed, getting to her feet as the rest of the family filed into the house from the yard. She tried to compose herself as her children came padding in pulling off their coats and hats as they did. "Teddy, do you mind helping Lily with her mittens? James, Albus, be sure to wipe your feet before you come any further in."

"You missed the snowball fight of the century, Ginny," Ron said, helping Hugo out of his coat.

"I'll catch next year's then," Ginny said simply.

"Alright everybody, dinner's on the table," Molly called from the kitchen. "Come sit so we can eat while it's hot. I'm sure you all need to be warmed up after playing out in the cold."

The family headed into the kitchen and began gathering around the table, which, over the years, had been magically lengthened to accommodate the growing family. As Ginny took her seat, she caught a whiff of treacle tart, and she felt a pang of sadness knowing that Harry would've been reaching for that dish even before he had meat on his plate.

"Dinner looks great, Molly," Arthur commented as everyone began to serve themselves. "You've outdone yourself this year."

"Yeah mum," George nodded. "It's delicious."

"Thank you," Molly smiled.

Just as Ginny reached over to begin to help Lily cut her roast beef, the sound of the front door opening came rolling through the kitchen.

"Who's that?" Bill frowned as they heard footsteps approaching. "We weren't expecting anybody else were-"

"Daddy!" Lily suddenly exclaimed as none other than Harry stepped into the kitchen, snow still on the shoulders of his robes and in his hair. Lily leaped up and ran over to her father, with James, Albus, and Teddy not far behind her.

"Hey, you lot," Harry grinned as he tried not to be toppled over by the force of the four of them.

Ginny's jaw dropped, and she felt too stunned to move.

"You're finally back!" James said excitedly. "Is your mission done? Did you catch the bad wizards? Did you use any cool curses? Did you-"

"Breathe, James," Harry chuckled as he picked Lily up in his arms. "My missions' done; I'm back home for now."

"Good, we missed you, dad," Albus said. "We were worried you weren't going to be home for Christmas."

"Yeah, you cut it close, you know," Teddy said.

"I was worried I wouldn't make it myself," Harry said. "Er, sorry to barge in during dinner like this, by the way."

"Nonsense!" Molly said, jumping at once and kissing the top of his head. "We're all so glad you got back in time!"

Harry set Lily back down, looking directly at Ginny, who was still sitting at the table, looking as though a bludger had hit her over the head.

"Hi," Harry said, smiling.

At once, Ginny unfroze as she jumped up from the table and rushed over to Harry, throwing her arms around him.

"Thank Merlin you're home," she said, hugging him tightly. "I missed you so much."

"I missed you too, love," Harry whispered in her ear. "Killed me being away this long."

"Yes, well," Ginny said, blushing slightly. "You owe me big, you know. Four bloody weeks of worrying about you…"

"I know," Harry smiled. "I'll figure out some way to make it up to you."

"I suppose managing to come back before Christmas is a start," Ginny said playfully as she stood on her toes to kiss him. "You can figure out the rest later."


	52. Chapter 52

"We need to figure out who gets to go in," Hermione said, looking around at the large group of Weasleys in St. Mungo's. "The healers said only six more of us can back there at one time. Only eight visitors are allowed, and seeing as Harry and Molly are already in there…"

"Well obviously we get to go," Ron said to his wife. "We're the godparents!"

"So that's two," Hermione said. "Of course you'll get to go back first as well, Arthur."

"One of the many perks of being a grandfather," Arthur smiled.

"Hagrid, Neville, I know you both have to be getting back up to the school soon," Hermione continued. "So why don't you come in with the first group as well?"

"Perfect," Neville said.

"Can't believe we're finally here," Hagrid said gruffly, blowing his nose loudly. "Seems only yes'erday I was carryin' little Harry in the palm of my hand."

"So who get's to be the sixth person to then?" Charlie asked.

"Well," Hermione smiled. "I think Teddy should get to come back and see the baby right away."

Teddy, who had been sitting quietly off to the side, watching Victoire and Dominique play, looked up. "Really?"

"Of course," Hermione said. "I'm sure you're very excited to meet your new godbrother, aren't you?"

Teddy nodded slowly, looking back down at his lap.

"He's here!"

The group spun around and saw Molly rushing out to meet the group.

"Little James Sirius Potter," Molly said, her face glowing with joy. "Mother and baby are doing fine. Everybody's healthy and happy."

"Can we go back then?" Ron asked anxiously.

"Yes, yes, Harry and Ginny are excited to see everybody," Molly said. "But you must keep quiet! Don't startle the poor dear."

"This is hardly our first time doing this," Arthur chuckled to his wife. "We know the drill."

The group of six followed Molly back through the hospital halls.

"Remember, voices down everybody," Molly whispered. "And Ron, use a Scouring Charm on your hands!"

"Huh?" Ron frowned, but Molly had already pushed the door open and led the party into the hospital room.

Ginny was lying in bed, with Harry sitting right at her side. Both of them were staring down at the small bundle of blue blankets in Ginny's arms.

"So he's finally here, huh?" Ron said as everybody gathered around the bed, anxious to get a look at the new arrival. "Took him long enough; we've been down in that waiting room for hours now."

"Sorry we couldn't speed things along for you," Ginny said, rolling her eyes.

"Oh! Look at him!" Hermione gasped. "He's precious!"

"He's perfect," Harry agreed, positively beaming.

"He looks just like Harry," Ginny said, gently brushing a strand of dark hair from James' eyes.

"Except for the eyes," Harry grinned. "He got his mum's eyes."

"Well when do we get to hold him then?" Neville asked.

"Now, if you like," Ginny said. "Be careful though. Teddy? Would you like to hold James first?"

"I get to hold him too?" Teddy asked, surprised.

"Course you do," Harry said. "We know how excited you've been to meet him; you've been talking about this for months now. Just go sit over there by Hagrid and I'll hand him off to you."

After gently taking his newborn son from his wife, Harry stepped across the room and carefully placed the sleeping infant in Teddy's arms.

"How come he's sleeping?" Teddy asked.

"I suppose he's exhausted after being born," Harry smiled. "Seemed to be a bit of a tiring process."

"A _bit_?" Ginny snapped from her bed.

"I'd keep James near you for a while after that comment," Ron said to Harry. "She won't hex you if you've got him in your arms."

"Smart idea," Harry muttered.

Just then James began to squirm in Teddy's arms, and the baby gave a loud wail.

"I didn't do anything!" Teddy gasped, startled. "Did I?"

"No, you didn't do a thing," Harry assured him, picking James back up. "He's just hungry, that's all."

"No, he needs to be changed," Ginny said. "That's not a hungry cry."

"How on earth can you tell the difference?" Ron frowned.

"All mothers can," Hermione said. "It's intuitive."

"Ah, I remember lil' Norbert used to have a different whimper fer' when he was tired an' when he was hungry," Hagrid said nostalgically.

"Would you like me to change him?" Molly offered as Harry walked over to the small cot that had been set up for James.

"That's alright, I've got it," Harry told her. "I've got to get used to this, don't I?"

"So Harry, Ginny? You feel any different now that you're parents?" Neville asked.

"You know, it does feel different," Ginny nodded. "It's hard to describe, though…"

"She's right," Harry agreed. "It's like I've got this whole new outlook on life."

"All parents go through that," Arthur said, putting an arm around Molly. "After the second child as well, and the third…even all the way through their seventh."

"I believe that," Harry said as he finished fastening James' new diaper.

"Oh, can I hold him next, Harry?" Hermione asked anxiously.

"Sure," Harry nodded. "Come on, James, you've already met Teddy. Now you can say hello to your godmother."

"He's so small," Hermione breathed, cradling James in her arm. "Look at him, Ron. He's barely the size of your forearm."

"The healer said he's on the smaller side," Harry said, sitting back down at the corner of Ginny's bed "But they expect him to grow quite a bit over the next few days."

"Harry?" Ginny said softly.

"You alright?" Harry asked.

Ginny nodded over at Teddy, who was staring down at his feet, looking rather upset.

"I'll be right back," Harry whispered as he got to his feet, understanding what his wife was communicating. "Alright, Ginny, I think I'll head up to the café to get you some food. Anybody else want anything?"

"No, we've been eating down in the waiting room," Neville replied.

"Brilliant," Harry said. "Teddy? Mind coming with me? I could use some company."

Teddy stood up and followed Harry out of the hospital room, leaving the others to continue to admire James.

"Hope you weren't too bored down in the waiting room," Harry said casually as they started for the lift. "Have you been playing with Victoire and Dominique?"

"For a little bit," Teddy mumbled.

"I'm glad your gran let you stay the whole time, even if she had to go back home to rest up," Harry smiled. "We really couldn't wait for you to meet James."

Teddy didn't respond.

"Ginny and him will be coming back home in a couple of days," Harry went on. "Which means I'll need to finish painting the last bit of the nursery. If you like, you could help me with-"

Harry was cut off as Teddy suddenly flung his arms around Harry, tears falling from the six-year old's face.

"Teddy, what's wrong?" Harry asked, kneeling down to properly face the child.

"I love you, Harry," Teddy cried, burying his face in Harry's shoulder. "And Ginny!"

"We love you too, Teddy," Harry said. "So much."

"Not anymore you won't," Teddy sniffed. "Now that you have James."

"What are you-"

"He's your _real_ son," Teddy said. "You'll want to give all of your attention to him and you won't want me around anymore."

Harry hugged Teddy close to him. "Teddy…that is absolutely not true," Harry said firmly.

"Yes it-"

"No, it's not," Harry said. "Teddy, blood has nothing to do with how much somebody care about someone. James may be my son by blood, and you may be my godson, but that doesn't mean I care for you or love you any less than I always have."

"But you're _related_ to James," Teddy sniffed. "That's got to mean something."

"I'm _related_ to the Dursleys," Harry smiled. "But you knew who cared for me and loved me? Sirius. Dumbledore. Molly and Arthur. People who have no blood relation to me at all."

Teddy wiped his eyes, his cries slowly beginning to stop

"I've told you many times, Teddy," Harry said gently. "I may not be your father. I don't want you to forget who your father was. But I will always be here to do everything that he would've done with you. Same thing with Ginny and your mum. We love you, whether you're related to us by blood or not. Us having James now won't change that one bit."

"Promise?" Teddy said softly.

Harry hugged Teddy tightly, kissing the top of his purple locks. "Promise."


	53. Chapter 53

"And what's this one named?" Harry asked Lily, holding up a stuffed unicorn.

"That's Dreamy," the three-year old told her father. "He's my favorite."

"Oh? Why's that?" Harry smiled.

"Because," Lily said. "He's the nicest one. He makes sure that all of the other unicorns always have friends to play with and helps them with whatever they need."

"Huh, that _is_ very nice of him," Harry agreed. He looked at his watch. "Alright, Lil Bud, it's far past your bedtime now."

"One more story?" Lily begged, looking up at Harry with her big, brown eyes.

Harry sighed, defenseless against his little girl's sad face. " _One_ more story. Go ahead and pick one out."

"Thank you daddy," Lily said sweetly, jumping down from her stepping over to the bookshelf across the room.

Nearly another half-an-hour later and three stories later, Lily finally lay sleeping in her bed. Harry smiled, closing the book and pulling the covers over his daughter as he kissed the top of her red head.

"Night, sweetheart," he whispered as he turned off the light. As he left the room, he stepped across the hall to Albus' bedroom. The light was still on, but Albus was fast asleep on his floor, where the half-finished model train that he had gotten his last birthday from his grandfather lay next to him.

Harry chuckled softly as he gently picked Albus up and placed him in his bed. Harry kissed his youngest son goodnight and silently left the room.

Next door, Harry opened the door and peered into James bedroom. The seven-year old was thankfully already asleep, and Harry had to hold back a laugh as he saw that James had tucked his junior Nimbus into the bed next to him. The boy truly couldn't be apart from his broom for a moment. After kissing him goodnight as well, Harry retreated back to his and Ginny's room, where his wife was sitting on the bed, flipping through a copy of the _Quibbler_.

"Don't tell me you've _just_ finished putting Lily to bed," Ginny sighed as Harry sat down next to her.

"Alright, I won't tell you," Harry smirked playfully.

"Harry…it's an hour past her bedtime," Ginny said, rolling her eyes. "Let me guess, she managed to coax an extra hour of play time out of you by showing you her drawings again."

"No, her stuffed unicorn collection, actually," Harry corrected her.

"Honestly," Ginny said, shaking her head, though smiling slightly. "That girl has got you wrapped around her tiny little finger. Are James and Albus asleep at least?"

"Yeah, I just finished checking on them," Harry said. "You'll be pleased to know that James is bound to be a Quidditch star just like you. He's curled up with his broomstick like it's a teddy bear."

"I'm not surprised," Ginny smiled. "I don't think he's put that broom down since he's got it. Imagine how he'll be once he gets a proper one."

"And we'll have to tell your dad that Al really loves that model train kit," Harry continued. "Little guy fell asleep in the middle of it. I'll bet you a galleon that he's up before the crack of dawn working on it some more."

"Very cute," Ginny said, looking back down at her magazine. "Oh, before I forget, this weekend you and I will need to go through the house and put all of our magical things in your office. Lily's got those muggle children coming by for her birthday party."

"Right," Harry nodded.

"I think it's best if we have the party with the family separately at the Burrow the following night," Ginny continued. "Considering some of them are not the best at hiding their magic."

"Lily won't mind," Harry said. "She'll get two cakes; she'll be thrilled."

He was silent for a moment. "Can't believe she's going to be four," he finally said.

"I know," Ginny said sadly. "Our baby isn't too much of a baby anymore, is she?"

"No," Harry said. "I suppose not. But um…I've been thinking about that a bit lately and I was wondering…what would you think about maybe having one more?"

Ginny closed her magazine and looked up at her husband. "One more?"

"I'm not saying right now necessarily," Harry said. "But maybe within the next couple of years. It's like you said, Lily's growing up. So are Albus and James. Hell, Teddy's a teenager now. You know the other day he asked me to show him how to shave?"

"He doesn't have a speck of facial hair," Ginny chuckled.

"Yes well, you try telling him that," Harry said. "But seriously, Gin, they're all growing up. I-I'd sort of like to have another baby around here. Wouldn't you?"

Ginny sighed. "Harry, I'm really sorry but…no. I wouldn't."

Harry's face fell. "No?"

"I love our kids more than anything in the world," Ginny said. "But love, I-I think that the three that we have are more than enough. Plus Teddy!"

"But don't you miss it when they were little?" Harry asked.

"Of course I do," Ginny said, taking his hand. "But Harry…I come from a family of seven children. Growing up with so many siblings like that it-it's not easy. Mum and dad did wonderfully with all of us, but still there were just so many times growing up where we all felt cast to side by one another. There simply were too many of us for their attention sometimes. I like how it is now; I like being able to give each of them as much attention as they need. I like that they don't have to compete with one another for us and that they'll never have to feel cast aside."

Harry nodded slowly. "I never thought about it like that."

"I'm sorry," Ginny said again.

"Don't apologize," Harry told her.

"I just feel awful now," Ginny sighed. "Knowing that you-"

"Hey," Harry said. "You have nothing to feel awful about."

"You're really not upset?"

Harry shook his head. "We have four amazing children now," he said. "What on earth do I have to be upset about?"


	54. Chapter 54

"James, you realize it's after midnight," Harry said, coming into his eldest son's room, where James was busy scribbling away on a piece of parchment. "Are you-Are you doing homework?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah," James nodded. "It's for Defense Against the Dark Arts! We have to write an essay explaining which defensive spell we think is most effective. It's really interesting."

"Wow, never thought I'd see the day you'd say homework was interesting," Harry smiled. "Well, as thrilled as I am that you're taking your schoolwork seriously at Hogwarts, try to get to bed in the next hour or so. We're leaving for the Burrow early to help Grandmum and grandpa get the place ready for Easter lunch."

"Alright," James said.

"But, I do have something I came in here to give you," Harry continued. "Would you mind taking a quick study break?"

"You have something for me?" James asked excitedly, tossing his quill aside. "What is it?"

"Birthday present," Harry said, pulling out a lumpy, badly wrapped parcel.

"But my birthday was in February," James said, confused. "You and mum sent me all that Quidditch gear."

"Yes, well, this is a bit extra," Harry grinned. "I wanted to give it to you personally. Go ahead; open it."

James tore into the wrappings of the parcel, pulling out a cloak.

"It's…it's a cloak?" James said. "Er, thanks dad."

"Why don't you go stand in front of the mirror and try it on," Harry suggested.

"Why do I-"

"Go on," Harry urged him.

Giving his father a curious look, James stood up and headed to his dresser. He draped the cloak around his shoulders. As he did, James' jaw dropped as he saw the bottom half of his body disappeared.

"Whoa! What _is_ this?" James gasped. "This is amazing!"

"That," Harry said. "Is an invisibility cloak."

"You mean it really makes me invisible?" James said in awe.

"That's right," Harry said. "As long as you're wearing it, nobody will be able to see you."

"Is it some sort of charm?" James asked.

"Nope, it's a real Invisibility Cloak," Harry grinned. "It's been in our family for generations."

"It has?"

"Yes," Harry nodded. "It's been passed along from parent to child. My dad left it for me; of course, it was Professor Dumbledore who gave it to me. But now I'm giving it to you. It was very useful to me while I was at Hogwarts. Used to sneak around under it quite a bit. When we were smaller, your Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione could fit under there as well so we could wander around the castle at night…Course, I'm sure you don't anything like that at school."

"Course not," James grinned. "Hey, this is like that Invisibility Cloak from that fairy tale you and mum used to read to me, isn't it? The Three Brothers?"

Harry chuckled. "Just like it."

"And this really belonged to your dad?" James asked, looking up.

"It did," Harry said, smiling nostalgically.

"Wow…" James said softly, staring down at the cloak.

"When you're older, you can pass it along as well," Harry said. "Continue the tradition. And in the meantime, I just have one rule for you while you have it."

"What's that?" James asked.

"Use it well," Harry said, winking at his son.


	55. Chapter 55

"Hey dad?" eleven-year old Albus said, knocking at his father's study. "Have you seen my scarf anywhere?"

"The one your grandmum knitted you? It's over by the coatrack," Harry said, looking up from the papers he was going through.

"No, my Slytherin one," Albus said. "I can't find it anywhere."

"Ah, I'd guess James has done something to it then," Harry sighed, pushing back his chair and getting to his feet. "Hang on a second."

Harry headed out to the living room, where James and Lily were watching the television.

"James Sirius Potter," Harry said firmly, picking up the remote and turning off the television.

"Hey! We were watching that!" James protested.

"You need to give your brother back his Slytherin scarf," Harry said. "Now."

"What? I didn't take it!" James defended.

Harry crossed his arms and continued to give his son a stern look. "James…I said now."

James finally let out a groan as he reached between the couch cushions and pulled out a green and silver scarf. "Here, Al," he said. "I was, er, going to surprise you by washing it, you know."

"You said you were going to try and change the snake into a lion," Lily chimed in.

"Tattle," James muttered, glaring at his sister.

"You need to stop defacing Albus' Slytherin things," Harry said to James. "First you tried to change his robes, then his tie, now his scarf?"

"Luckily he's rubbish at charms and never managed to do any of that," Albus said.

"Hey! I'm top of my class in Charms!" James snapped. "Those are O.W.L. level charms! You wait a few more years and everything you own will have a lion on it!"

"No, it wont," Harry said. "James, because of this little stunt, you're going to be responsible for de-gnoming the garden for the rest of holiday."

"Dad!" James exclaimed. "That's unreasonable!"

"If your definition of an unreasonable punishment is de-gnoming a garden, count yourself lucky," Harry said, rolling his eyes as he took the scarf from James and handed it back to Albus. "And I'm serious; stop taking your brother's stuff."

"Thanks," Albus said, following Harry out of the room. "Sorry I bugged you for that, though. You were probably busy."

"I was just finishing up," Harry smiled. "I was about to head out for a walk."

"A walk? But it's freezing outside," Albus said. "Why would you want to go for a walk now?"

"Seemed like a good time," Harry shrugged, pulling on his cloak. "Sometimes the cold helps me think."

"Oh…" Albus said. "Well could I come? There's nothing to do here. James and Lily are watching something stupid on the telly, and mum's still at work."

"If you can brace the cold, I'd love your company," Harry said to his son.

"Thanks, dad," Albus smiled.

The two headed out the front door, where it had just begun to snow.

"Dad? You think James will ever stop giving me a hard time about being a Slytherin?" Albus asked as the made their way through the snow.

"Well, you know your brother," Harry sighed. "He's always going to be giving you a hard time."

"I know _that,_ " Albus said. "But you think he's really still upset about me being sorted there instead of Gryffindor? It's been over three months now."

"Al, even though he has a very strange way of showing it, James loves you," Harry told him. "And you being sorted into Slytherin may have been a bit of a shock to him, but it didn't change that."

"I guess pranks and stuff _are_ his way of letting you know he cares," Albus said slowly.

"I'll let you in on a secret too," Harry smiled. "About two weeks after the term started this year, Professor McGonagall sent an owl to your mum and I saying that James had been caught trying to duel a group of third years."

"Was _that_ why he had to go around scrubbing the corridors with Filch for a week back in September?" Albus frowned. "I figured he got caught sneaking out to the Quidditch pitch after curfew again."

"Yes, well, we got quite a few letters about that as well," Harry smirked. "But do you know why he was trying to duel those third years?"

"Probably because he wanted to show off," Albus said.

"No," Harry said. "Because, according to what he told McGonagall, they were having a few choice words about his Slytherin brother."

Albus stopped in his tracks. "James defended me?"

"Course he did," Harry said. "I told you; no matter how he teases you, he'll always love you, and he'll always be there for you."

"Yeah…I know," Albus said softly.

"Al," Harry continued. "Does-Does that happen often?"

"Does what happen often?" Albus asked.

"People making fun of you because you're in Slytherin," Harry asked gently. "You know, people other than your brother?"

"Oh," Albus mumbled, looking down at his feet, embarrassed. "It happens a bit, I suppose. They're all shocked that Harry Potter's son wound up in Slytherin."

Harry gave his son a sympathetic smile. "I know that must be hard to hear, Albus, but don't pay them any mind."

"I don't," Albus said at once. "Honestly, I couldn't care less what those people have to say.. I told you; I _asked_ to be in Slytherin, after all. I know that being in that house doesn't make me a Dark wizard or anything"

"That's right," Harry said firmly. "And are you happy with that choice you made to ask to be in Slytherin?"

"Yes," Albus said at once. "If I hadn't been put into Slytherin, I wouldn't have become friends with Scorpius."

"Er, right," Harry said, clearing his throat awkwardly.

"Dad? You're not upset that I'm friends with him, are you?" Albus asked.

"No," Harry said. "From what you've told me, Scorpius seems like a wonderful young wizard."

"But his dad-"

"Scorpius' father and I will never be best friends, Al," Harry said. "Or even friends, for that matter. But we've come to understand one another over the years. So, if you'd like to be friends with his son, I don't mind in the slightest."

"Good," Albus said. "No offense, dad, but I wasn't going to just tell Scorpius to hit the road."

"I know you wouldn't," Harry chuckled.

"I thought it'd be weird, though, not being in the same house as Rose," Albus said. "But it's not really weird at all. We have most of our lessons together, and we still hang out all of the time; Scorpius, her, and me. We've even managed to sneak her into the common room a few times. She snuck in herself once, too."

"Guess she got a bit more from Ron than just her red hair then," Harry said, amused.

"Only downside to being in Slytherin, I guess, is that it makes Professor Slughorn even more eager to "collect" me. He keeps trying to get me to come to all these dinner parties he throws for certain students. Luckily Fred always keeps me stocked on Snackboxes so I've managed to get out of them all so far."

"Well, just stay on your toes," Harry said. "Slughorn's persistent."

"I can tell," Albus nodded. "Um, dad? Where exactly are we walking _to_ by the way?"

"We're just about there," Harry said.

A moment later, the two turned, and Albus saw an iron fence with a large set of kissing gates: the cemetery.

"I normally come here a lot this time of the year," Harry said softly, pushing open the gate.

Albus, along with James and Lily, had been to the cemetery to pay their respects to their late grandparents a few times before. They always went as a family, though. Albus knew his father came down here to see his parents on his own, but Harry had never brought along anybody besides Ginny to accompany him before. Albus followed his father through the cemetery, coming to a stop in front of two familiar headstones.

"Professor Slughorn talks about them a lot, you know," Albus told his father softly. "Your parents."

"I know," Harry said. "He was the Potions professor when they were in school too."

"He adores your mum," Albus continued. "Says I have her eyes…"

"You do," Harry smiled.

"How often do you come here, dad?" Albus asked as Harry pointed his wand at the snowy ground in front of the graves, causing the snow to quickly disappear so that the two could sit down.

"About once or twice a month," Harry told him. "When we first moved into Godric's Hallow, I couldn't bring myself to come here more than once a year. It was too much for me."

"Isn't it still hard now?" Albus asked curiously.

Harry reached out and put his arm around Albus. "It is," he admitted. "But as the years went on, I've had so many wonderful things to tell them about that have happened in my life that these visits have become something I really look forward to."

"What sort of things do you talk to them about?"

"Mostly you guys," Harry said. "And your mum. You lot are the best things that have ever happened to me, after all."

Albus stared ahead at the headstones. "Dad? I know I'm not allowed to do magic outside of school, but there's a charm that Rose was telling me about; one that makes flowers appear…"

Harry chuckled, pulling out his wand again and producing two wreathes of lilies. He handed one to Albus. "Your Aunt Hermione showed me that spell first time I came here."

Harry set one wreath on his mother's grave, and Albus set the second on his grandfather's.

"I'm really glad you came here with me, Al," Harry said, squeezing his son's shoulder.

"Me too," Albus nodded.


	56. Chapter 56

"You find out what you're having today, don't you?" Ron said as Harry handed Rose and Albus cups of juice.

"Yes," Harry nodded. "We thought we'd keep it a surprise until the end, but Ginny and I both decided last night we couldn't wait."

"Ron and I tried to do the same thing," Hermione smiled, her hands resting on her very swollen abdomen. "But in the end, we couldn't wait either."

"It was _you_ who decided she couldn't wait," Ron smirked.

"So you'll have a girl and a boy then," Harry commented. "One of each."

"Baby bother," Rose said happily, looking up from the toys she had been sharing with Albus.

"That's right, Rosie," Ron grinned. "You get a baby _brother_."

"When he coming?" Rose asked.

"Any day now, probably," Harry chuckled.

"My due date's at the end of the week," Hermione said. "I think we'll make it until then. If Hugo would like to come earlier, though, I won't complain. He's much more rambunctious in here than Rose ever was."

"So, any advice on raising boys then, Harry?" Ron asked. "Seeing as you've got two?"

"Just be on alert whenever you change him," Harry said.

"Right," Ron sighed. "I remember James getting me that way first time I tried to change him. Scarred me for life. That's why Hermione will be changing all of Hugo's diapers. I'm _kidding_!" he added, seeing the glare his wife was throwing him.

"Are you and Ginny hoping for a girl this time?" Hermione asked, looking over at Harry.

"We just want it to be healthy," Harry shrugged.

"We know that's what you _have_ to say," Ron said, rolling his eyes. "But come on, which would you prefer?"

"Fine," Harry conceded. "We're both hoping it's a girl this time."

"I hope for your sakes you do too," Ron said. "Imagine having three boys running around. Four, including Teddy! You'd never have a moment of piece again. Well, until the last one goes off to Hogwarts at least."

"Ron!" Hermione scolded.

"He's right," Harry told her. "If we wind up having another boy, we'll be happy, of course, but seeing as we'd like to try to keep our sanity…"

"Alright, are you ready to go, Harry?" Ginny asked, coming down the stairs.

"Yes, but where's James?" Harry asked.

"Teddy's playing with him up in his bedroom," Ginny replied, crouching down to kiss Albus. "You listen to Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron, and play nicely with Rosie."

"We shouldn't be gone more than an hour," Harry told Ron and Hermione. "And hopefully with James busy up there with Teddy, he won't get into too much trouble."

"Good luck," Ron said.

…

"This place is always so cold," Ginny sighed as she sat on the exam table in the small healer's office.

"I'm fine," Harry said.

"Oh well, that's a relief," Ginny scoffed. "Seeing as _you're_ the one carrying this child, I was most concerned with how you were feeling about the temperature."

"Here," Harry said, taking his cloak that had been hanging up on the coat rack and handing it to his wife. "I can put a warming charm on it if you like."

"No, that's alright," Ginny said, giving him a small smile, craning her neck to give him a quick kiss. "Thank you, love. I think the hormones and mood swings are kicking in early with this one."

There was a knock at the door, and a witch in healer robes came in.

"Morning, Mr. and Mrs. Potter," she said pleasantly. "I've had a chance to review everything, and it looks like baby number three is in perfect health."

"That's wonderful," Ginny said as Harry put his arm around her.

"If everything continues this way, you should be set for this little one to arrive around the end of July," the healer continued.

"Maybe the two of you will wind up sharing a birthday," Ginny smirked, looking up at her husband.

"Maybe," Harry chuckled.

"Now, you both said you wanted to know the sex then?" the healer asked.

"Yes," Ginny said at once. "We decided we couldn't wait."

"It is very exciting news," the healer said, pulling a small vile filled with clear potion out of her robe pocket. "Well, Mrs. Potter, I assume you remember what to do. I'll just need to take a small drop of blood and you'll know the results in a few moments."

She gently took Ginny's hand and pricked the top of her finger, letting a small drop of blood drip into the vile.

"I'll leave you two to see the results then," the healer smiled at the couple. "I'll be back in a bit. Remember, if the liquid turns blue, it's a boy. If it turns pink, it's a girl."

"Well…I suppose this is it then," Ginny said, squeezing Harry's hand. "The big mystery is about to be over. I know I'm not supposed to care either way, but I _do_ hope this one's a girl."

"I know," Harry said. "I'd love to have a daughter."

"I was thinking," Ginny said. "If we _do_ have a girl…I think we should name her Lily."

"Yeah?" Harry smiled. "You'd want to do that?"

Ginny nodded. "It's a beautiful name. And I want to honor your mum, like we did with your dad."

Harry leaned down and kissed her temple. "Thank you," he whispered. "What would we name him if we have a boy, though?"

"I don't know," Ginny said thoughtfully. "I'd like him to be named after someone too."

"Maybe Arthur?" Harry suggested.

"Oh, my dad would love that," Ginny grinned.

"How much longer do we have to wait?" Harry asked, looking at the vile, which was still filled with clear liquid.

"Takes about ten minutes," Ginny said.

"Do you have a guess then?" Harry asked. "You're the one carrying the baby; can you tell any difference between this one and the boys?"

"I don't think I'd be able to tell," Ginny chuckled. "Although, I will say, I _do_ feel different this time around. I don't know if it's because it's a girl though."

"Well, that's got to be a good sign, at least," Harry said.

"Oh!" Ginny gasped, looking at the vile. "Harry, it's done!"

Smoke had started to form around the vile, and when it faded away, dark blue liquid could now be seen.

"It's a boy," Harry smiled. "We're going to have another boy."

"Yes, we are," Ginny nodded, beaming up at Harry. "Strange…thought I'd be a bit disappointed if we got this news."  
"So did I," Harry admitted. "But I'm just as excited. Though you'll be even more outnumbered now, I'm afraid."

"That's alright, I'll still be able to manage you lot," Ginny chuckled. "Look at my family, after all."

"Four boys running around that house," Harry said. "We're going to go mad, you know."

"Yes," Ginny agreed. "But I don't think I mind."

….

"Albus, come on, eat your breakfast," Harry sighed, trying to spoon oatmeal into the fussy toddler's mouth a few mornings later.

"No!" Albus whined. "Want can-ee!"

"Candy is not for breakfast," Harry said, though at this point he was very close to giving in and letting his son eat jelly slugs for breakfast. "If you eat all of this, you can have candy as a snack later on, alright?"

"No!"

"Any luck with him?" Ginny asked, coming into the kitchen with James, who was covered in what appeared to be red paint.

"Er, no," Harry frowned. "And do I want to know what happened?"

"He got into my lipstick," Ginny explained, picking up a cloth and beginning to scrub her son's face. "And he's going to time-out after this because he knows perfectly well not to touch mummy's things."

"No! I don't want time-out!" James pouted.

"Well, isn't this shaping up to be a fun morning," Harry smirked.

"Look out!"

A quaffle had suddenly gone flying through the kitchen, narrowly missing the window above the sink.

"Teddy! What are you doing?" Harry exclaimed.

"Playing Quidditch," the nine-year old replied.

"Inside?" Ginny frowned. "We've told you a million times; you have to go _outside_ for that!"

"It's raining," Teddy shrugged, sitting down at the table and pulling out a packet of acid pops from his pocket.

"Hey, no candy for breakfast," Harry said firmly, quickly taking the packet. "You have toast waiting for you."

"Can-ee!" Albus squealed, trying to reach the acid pops.

"Four boys…this is going to be a madhouse," Ginny said.

"Don't know how your mum and dad handled six boys," Harry said. "Though I'm sure you weren't exactly an innocent child, were you?"

"Course not," Ginny said. "I was just better at keeping out of the way and not getting caught."

Just then there was a pecking sound at the kitchen window. Harry looked up to see an unfamiliar black owl holding a letter in its beak.

"Will you go and get the post?" Ginny asked her husband, still wrestling with a squirming James.

Harry got up, taking another bag of Sherbet Lemons from Teddy as he passed, and opened the window. He took the letter from the owl, seeing that it was addressed to Ginny from the healer's office.

"It's for you," Harry said, handing her the letter.

"Alright, well, I suppose that's as clean as he's going to get right now," Ginny sighed, abandoning the cloth. "James, finish your breakfast and then you _are_ going to timeout."

Ginny opened up the letter, quickly scanning the contents. Her eyes widened and she looked up at Harry. "They want to see us back at the office," she said softly.

"What?" Harry frowned. "Why? I thought everything was alright with the baby."

"Well they must've found something else," Ginny said anxiously. "Why else would then need us to come back so soon?"

"I-I'm sure it's nothing," Harry said, trying to stay calm. "Maybe we forgot to sign some forms or something. Look, you go sit down and I'll call your mum and see if she can come watch the kids."

"Alright," Ginny said shakily.

…..

Ginny and Harry sat silently back in the healer's office, clutching the other's hands anxiously as they waited for the healer to come in.

"Maybe this is the something different I felt," Ginny whispered. "Harry, what are we going to do? If something's wrong-"

Just then the door opened, and the healer walked in.

"Good morning," she said cheerfully. "Thank you for coming in on such short notice."

"What's wrong?" Harry blurted out at once. "Please, just tell us the baby's going to be alright?"

"Hm? Oh, I'm so sorry," the healer said quickly. "I must've given you both such a fright. Perhaps I should've told you in the letter…your baby is still perfectly healthy. Nothing has changed about that."

Harry and Ginny let out long breaths of relief.

"Well then why'd you need to see us again?" Ginny asked.

"Well, there was a mistake with the Sex Reveal potion that I had you use, Mrs. Potter," the healer explained. "See, sometimes, especially when it's cold, the potion will turn blue, even if you are not having a boy. It's something that still needs to be worked out. Unless you let it sit for a few hours longer, you won't necessarily get the accurate results. I had moved your vile to our storage cupboard, and this morning when I was going through there, I noticed that it had changed…"

"Changed?" Harry said slowly. "What do you-"

The healer reached into her pockets and pulled out a vile filled with light pink liquid. "Congratulations," she said. "You are having a girl."

Ginny gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. "A girl!"

"A daughter," Harry said, throwing his arms around his wife. "We're going to have a daughter!"

"Again, I'm so sorry for the confusion," the healer said.

"It's alright," Ginny said, wiping a tear from her eye.

Harry placed his hand on Ginny's abdomen. "Lily…" he said softly. "We can't wait to meet you, sweetheart."


	57. Chapter 57

"It's mahogany and dragon heart string," James said proudly as he showed off his wand to Ron and Hermione. "Twelve inches."

"Impressive," Ron commented as he examined it. "You can do some nice spell work with this."

"I take it you're excited about tomorrow, then," Hermione smiled.

"He's been talking about nothing else for weeks now," Ginny chuckled.

"I can't wait to finally be at Hogwarts," James said. "And finally learn magic! And dueling!"

"James Sirius Potter, you are _not_ to be getting into duels while you are at school," Ginny said firmly. "Besides, you won't be learning spells like that until at least your fourth year."

"Well I'll study up," James said. "I figure if dad can kill a basilisk by the age of twelve, I'll be able to do at least a few cool things by the time I finish my first year."

"You see what you've done?" Ginny said to her husband as he walked into the room.

"James, listen to your mum," Harry said. "You need to follow the rules at Hogwarts. I don't want letters from Professor McGonagall every week listing out all of the trouble you've gotten into."

"Don't worry, dad, you won't," James said. "I know how to avoid getting caught."

"McGonagall is going to retire the second he steps off that train," Ginny sighed as James left the room. "He's determined to outdo the Marurders, Fred and George, and you three in trouble making."

"We didn't get into too much trouble at school," Ron defended.

"What are you talking about?" Hermione scoffed. "You and Harry had absolutely no regard for school rules."

"Right, and Ron and I were out there breaking the rules on our own, were we?" Harry grinned.

"You were just as bad as us," Ron said, putting his arm around his wife.

"Hopefully Teddy will be able to keep him from doing anything too bad," Ginny said.

"James has always listened to Teddy more than he listens to us," Harry chuckled, getting to his feet. "Anyway, I've got to go and check up on Lily."

"How come?" Hermione asked.

"She's convinced that if she packs herself a trunk, we'll let her go off on the train with James tomorrow," Harry said, rolling his eyes. "It was cute at first, but now I'm actually worried she'll try to sneak onto the Hogwarts Express…"

…

"Mum! Dad! Come on, we'll miss the train if you don't get up!" James exclaimed, bursting into his parents bedroom.

"James, the bloody train doesn't leave for six more hours," Harry moaned. "We'll make it."

"Well we have to make sure," James insisted. "I'll go start waking up Albus and Lily."

"James, let your brother and sister sleep," Ginny said. "And you go try and rest for a bit longer as well. You have a busy day ahead of you and you'll need your strength."

"I can't sleep!" James said.

"Well your mum and I can," Harry yawned. "If you can't go back to bed, go down into the living room and watch the telly quietly."

"Fine," James huffed. "But if we get caught up in that muggle traffic and miss the train, I'm blaming you two."

…..

A few hours later, as Harry slid breakfast onto the table, James was telling Albus and Lily all about the adventures he was sure to have as soon as he started Hogwarts.

"I wonder if I'll know any other boys who get sorted into Gryffindor this year," James said, taking a bite of his toast. "Obviously Fred, Louis and I will all be sorted there, but I wonder who will be sharing the dormitory with us."

"Hopefully someone who doesn't mind explosions," Harry yawned, pouring himself a cup of coffee.

"Alright, I finished going through his trunk," Ginny said, coming into the kitchen carrying a large bag. "Took out fireworks, two fanged Frisbees and about eighty dungbombs."

"Hey!" James protested.

"I can only imagine what poor Angelina found when she went through Fred's trunk," Ginny said. She turned to James. "James, I know you're excited to be off at Hogwarts, but you need to behave yourself there. You won't have nearly as much fun there if you're stuck in detention your whole time."

"Dad got detention all the time at school, though," James pointed out.

"James, tell you what," Harry sighed. "Try to make your Hogwarts experience as different from mine as possible, alright?"

"James, do you have to go?" Lily asked her older brother. "I'm going to miss you."

"Aw Lil, I'll miss you too," James said. "I hate to leave you with only boring old Albus here to keep you company, after all."

"Can we drop him off at the train earlier than eleven?" Albus asked his parents as he glared at James. "I'd like to start off the only James-free year I'll ever get as soon as possible. Let's see…what am I going to do with your room while you're gone?"

"Mum! Dad! Tell him he can't step foot in my room!" James exclaimed.

"Enough, both of you," Harry said firmly. "You know, I reckon you're both going to be surprised with how much you miss one another."

"Me miss James?" Albus scoffed. "Yeah right."

"That's mental, dad," James said, shaking his head.

Just then there was a loud popping sound, and a second later Teddy and his grandmother walked into the kitchen.

"Merlin, I prefer apperation over that bloody Floo network," Teddy said, setting his trunk down and taking a seat at the table. "Ah, perfect; bacon!"

"Good morning to you too," Ginny said, giving him a small smile as she handed him a plate. "Where's your Head Boy badge? Shouldn't you be wearing it?"

"I'll put it on later," Teddy shrugged.

"You should see how nice it looks on his robes," Andy said proudly. "I managed to get some nice pictures before he took it off."

"Teddy, are you going to sit with me and Fred and Louis on the train?" James asked eagerly.

"I have to sit up front with the Prefects and the Head Girl for the first bit of the trip," Teddy replied.

"Yes, but after that," James said.

"Oh, um, I have some homework to finish up with Victorie," Teddy said, suddenly becoming very interested in his napkin.

"Homework?" Harry repeated. "Odd…Victoire's a very strong student. Hard to imagine she'd leave her work go until the train ride."

"Yes, well, she had a busy summer," Teddy said quickly, his face flushing red.

"Ah," Harry smirked. "I see."

"I'm guessing somebody's excited to be going off the Hogwarts," Andy said, smiling over at James.

"He's been talking about nothing else for weeks," Ginny said.

"Let's see if that holds up once lessons start," Andy chuckled. "Well, thank you again for taking Teddy off to the platform. The crowds are just too much for me these days."

"Would you like to come by for dinner at the Burrow tonight?" Harry asked her. "Molly's making a roast."

"I'd love to, thank you," Andy nodded. She kissed the top of her grandson's emerald head. "Have a safe trip, dear. Write once you get to the castle, and I'll see you at Christmas. And James, best of luck to you too."

"Alright everybody, finish up your breakfasts," Ginny said as Andy disapperated out of the kitchen. "We need to start heading to the train station. Harry, did you out the Extension Charm on the car? We're going to need more room for both trunks."

"Yes, did it last night," Harry said.

"Can I drive the car?" Teddy asked his godfather.

"You have no clue how to drive," Harry pointed out.

"Yes, but how difficult can it be?" Teddy said. "I can fly a broomstick, can't I?"

"It's harder than it looks," Harry said darkly. "It took me three tries to finally pass that damn driving test. But if you like, when you come home for the holidays, I'll teach you."

"Cool," Teddy said.

"Hurry up, you lot," James said, quickly stuffing the last of his eggs into his mouth. "If I miss the train, how am I supposed to get to Hogwarts?"

"Take a flying car there, perhaps?" Teddy said, grinning at Harry.

"What?" James asked.

"Nothing," Ginny said, giving Teddy a look.

…..

"How can it take you this long to park the car?" Ginny said to her husband as he finally turned the vehicle off.

"Would you like to drive it home and see how difficult it is?" Harry retorted.

"I'd love to," Ginny said simply. "Albus and Lily can tell us who they thought the better driver was."

"We have twenty minutes before the train leaves," Teddy announced, looking at his watch.

"Plenty of time," Harry said, getting out of the car. "I'll go fetch a trolley. Teddy, can you get the trunks out of the back."

"Mum, I can't wait three more years," Lily said as her and her brothers got out of the car. "I want to go to Hogwarts _now_."

"I know it's hard to wait, sweetheart," Ginny said. "But your turn will come soon enough."

"Wish I could turn eleven sooner," Lily mumbled.

"Well, your father and I would like to enjoy a few more years with you," Ginny said. "It's hard enough for us watching Teddy go off every year. And now James…You'll have to write home at least once a week, James, okay?"

"Huh?" James said. "Oh, right, I will."

"Here we go," Harry said, returning with a trolley. "Not too many muggles around today; we won't have any problems getting onto the platform. James, Teddy, you'll have to carry your owls. Bill and Fleur just got here; they're going through the barrier now. I think George and Angelina will be apperating directly to the platform. Now, do you two have everything from the car? If you left anything at the house, you'll have to wait for us to send it to you, because we can't go back now without missing the train."

"I've got everything," Teddy said, securing his broomstick to the trolley.

"James?" Harry said.

"Uh, yeah, I think so," James said.

Harry studied his son for a moment. Since they left the house, he noticed that James had grown quieter and quieter. He glanced over at Ginny, who gave him a knowing look.

"Teddy," Ginny said. "Why don't you take Albus and Lily and head onto the platform. We'll follow you once we double check that James' trunk is properly onto the trolley."

"Sure," Teddy said. "Come on, you two."

"I _do_ think you have everything," Harry said as the others left. "But like I said, we'll send anything you may have forgotten."

"Here's a bit of money for the sweets cart," Ginny said, handing her son a few coins.

"Thanks," James said softly.

"James," Harry said gently. "How are you feeling?"

James looked up at his father. "I don't get to come home until December…right?"

Harry put an arm around him. "Trust me, the holidays will come sooner than you think."

"No they won't; they're months away!" James said. "That means I won't get to see you and mum for ages! I-I'm going to miss you guys, okay? And Lily! And-And even Albus!"

"Oh sweetheart, we're all going to miss you too," Ginny said, pulling her son into a hug. "So much. And I know it's a bit strange, leaving home for so long. As excited as I was to finally go to Hogwarts, I was still a bit nervous to leave my mum and dad. But you know what? As soon as you see the castle and start learning magic and you settle in, Hogwarts is going to feel like a second home to you."

"She's right," Harry nodded.

James looked down at his feet, embarrassed. "And…And you said I could write you every week? And you'll write back?"

"We'll write you every day if you like," Ginny smiled.

"Maybe not that often," James said slowly.

"James, you're going to do great at Hogwarts," Harry said. "You'll have Fred and Louis in your year with you. Molly, Lucy, Dominique, Victoire, and Teddy will be there as well. Not to mention Hagrid and Neville."

"That's right," Ginny said.

James looked slightly less nervous at this reminder. "I'll finally be able to see Hagrid's Hut…And the Forbidden Forest!"

"You can see Hagrid's Hut, but James Sirius Potter, you stay _out_ of that forest," Harry said firmly.

"Fine," James sighed.

Harry checked his watch. "Ten minutes until the train leaves. We should get onto the platform…You feeling better, James?"

"Yeah," James said, smiling up at both of his parents. "I am. Er, promise me you won't tell Albus I said I'll miss him though, okay?"

"Fine, we'll never tell your brother you actually admitted to such a thing," Harry said, rolling his eyes.


	58. Chapter 58

"Come on, Rosie, you can say it," Ron urged, looking down at his daughter on his lap. "Say _da-da_."

Rose simply giggled and smiled up at him.

"Nice try," Ron smirked, tickling her tiny toes.

"She's saving her first word for _mummy_ , right Rose?" Hermione said, picking up her daughter and putting her on her own lap. "Can you say _mummy?_ Come on, sweetheart, _mummy_."

"You can't pressure her like that," Ron said. "That's not fair!"

"What were you just doing then?" Hermione pointed out.

"You think it's okay that she hasn't said her first word yet?" Ron asked, slightly concerned.

"She _just_ turned one," Hermione said.

"Yes, but James was talking before he was a year old," Ron said. "So were all her other cousins."

Hermione frowned. "That's true," she said slowly. "Maybe she's just shy."

"We're her parents; what is shy around us for?" Ron said.

"I don't know, but I'm sure that's all it is," Hermione said, though not looking totally convinced herself. "We've read all the books on child development; muggle and magical versions. Can you remember anything that any of them said about getting the baby to talk?"

"Um, no not really," Ron sighed. "I was focused more on the parts about the beginning…"

"Well, I remember a few of the books saying that talking more and more to her ourselves might encourage her to talk on her own," Hermione said.

"We talk to her tons though!" Ron said.

"We'll just have to talk to her even more," Hermione said simply. "Is that what the problem is, Rosie? You just want to hear more from mummy and daddy?"

Rose let out a few soft babbles, smiling happily up at her mother.

"I'll take that as a yes," Hermione chuckled, kissing the top of her head.

….

"Alright, James, after lunch you're going straight upstairs to take a nap," Harry said, bringing the toddler into the Potter's kitchen, where Ron was feeding Rose.

"No nap!" the toddler said firmly. "I play!"

"James, you've been up since five in the morning," Harry sighed. "You _must_ be tired by now."

James shook his head.

"Fine," Harry conceded. "Tell you what; you take a nap for just one hour, and I'll take you to Diagon Alley for ice cream after dinner tonight."

"Ice cream!" James cheered excitedly. "Okay! I nap!"

"Brilliant parenting, mate," Ron chuckled. "Does Ginny know you bribe your children?"

"She does the same thing when she's desperate enough," Harry yawned, setting a peanut butter sandwich in front of James. "Albus has a cold, so I've been dealing with _that_ all morning while Ginny's been at work. If I can just get James to go down for an hour, I think I'll be able to finish off that mountain of paper work and send it to the Ministry before your wife has my head for it being late again."

"I was going to take Rosie to the muggle playground near hear," Ron said. "If you like, I'll take James with me once he wakes up from his nap."

"That," Harry said. "Would be amazing. I owe you one."

"Course you do," Ron grinned, turning back to his daughter. He held up two jars of baby food. "Alright, what will it be today? Mashed up carrots? Or mashed up peas? I know you're not a fan of either. If I remember, though, you spat up far less mashed peas last time I gave them to you, so I think we'll go with that choice. Daddy will go get you a spoon and then you can have a go at feeding yourself."

He pulled a spoon out of the bag next to his chair and handed it to Rose.

"Here's the spoon, Rosie. You've seen mummy and daddy use it before," Ron said. "Well, it's quite a useful tool. Mummy claims I don't use mine properly, but don't listen to her."

Harry gave his best friend a strange look. "What are you doing?"

"Hmm? Oh," Ron said as Rose began to smear her food with her spoon. "Hermione and I are trying to get Rose to say her first words, so we figured if we constantly talk to her, it will give her a bit of an extra push."

"Ah," Harry nodded. "Makes sense."

"We're just getting a bit concerned," Ron said. "She turned one a few weeks ago…all of her cousins were saying at least a few words by this time, right?"

"Yes, but all kids are different, aren't they?" Harry reasoned. "Maybe she's just a quieter child."

"I quiet?" James asked, looking up from his sandwich.

"Absolutely not," Harry smiled.

"Still, she should've said _something_ by now," Ron said. "I want to take her to the healer's office, but Hermione thinks we should give her more time. By this rate, though, Albus will be talking before her; and he's five months younger."

As if he heard his name, Albus suddenly gave a loud cry from the other room, followed by a series of coughs.

"I need to give him the rest of his potion," Harry said, getting to his feet. "Though I guarantee you that he spits it all up…Anyway, I know you're worried, but I'm sure Rose will speak when she's ready."

Ron looked down at his daughter. "I hope so…"

…

"Harry does this on purpose, I bet," Hermione said a few nights later, going though a large stack of files. "He fills half of these out all wrong just so I'll do them myself. He's a brilliant Auror, but his paperwork is awful."

"He was probably half asleep when he filled those out," Ron pointed out. "Ginny's been in Germany interviewing their team members all week, so he's had the two boys all on his own."

"Yes, I suppose that's a good point," Hermione nodded. "Oh, Ron! Get Rose; she's trying to climb up on the desk again."

"What's with the climbing tonight, Rosie?" Ron asked, hurrying over and pulling his daughter away from the desk just as she was about to step up onto the first set of shelves. "She's been at this for this for the past hour."

Rose let out a frustrated cry as Ron sat her back down by her toys.

"I took her to the playground today with Audrey and the twins," Hermione frowned. "I would've thought that'd have tired her out. I don't know where she got all this energy from."

"I wish I had as much as she does," Ron yawned. "I'm beat. You should've seen the rush we got at the store today. They wiped us out of nearly everything. George and I have to go in early tomorrow morning just to restock all the shelves and-Rose!"

Rose had turned and began trying to climb back onto the desk again. "Honestly, did she sneak into my chocolate frogs or something? She's never like this."

Rose began to cry, reaching towards the desk from Ron's arms.

"Rose, it's alright," Hermione soothed. "Ron, do you think she's not feeling well?"

"She may have caught Albus' cold," Ron said. "Hang on, I'll take her temperature and-"

"Book!" Rose said loudly, still reaching towards the desk. "Book!"

"Oh my-Ron!" Hermione gasped as Ron's eyes widened in shock. "Did she just say-"

"Bloody hell…" Ron said softly. "She did it! That was her first word! Rose, you brilliant girl!"

"And look!" Hermione said, hurrying over to the desk and reaching up onto one of the top shelves, where Rose's favorite picture book, _Dewy the Drowsy Dragon_ had been sitting. Roses' face light up at once as Hermione handed her the book. "That's what she was trying to get! Her book!"

"So that was the trick, huh?" Ron grinned. "We just needed the right motivation, Rosie?"

"I can't believe it…her first word was book," Hermione said, wiping a tear from her eye as Ron kissed her cheek.

"She's definitely your daughter then," Ron said. He turned to Rose. "You'll be just like mummy then, won't you? Nose always buried in some book? Well, that's just fine with me."


	59. Chapter 59

Five-year old Harry sat on the steps, washing enviously as Dudley unwrapped yet another package that was larger than him.

"Look!" Dudley exclaimed, holding up a remote-control helicopter.

"Very impressive, Dudley," Vernon said, clasping his son's shoulder.

"I'm so glad you like it, sweetheart," Petunia beamed.

"This is even better than last Christmas!" Dudley said, grabbing another box and ripping into it. "I got twice as many presents!"

"Fifty-six, to be exact," Vernon chuckled. "Bet none of your classmates got that many, no?"

"How come _he_ didn't get anything?" Dudley asked, grinning cruelly over at Harry.

"Only good children get presents on Christmas," Vernon snickered. "And that boy has been nothing but trouble yet again."

Harry looked down at his lap, feeling his eyes stinging. He willed himself not to cry though, for he knew Dudley would never let him hear the end of it if he did. But he did think that he had been good enough this year to at least get _one_ present under the Christmas tree. He had been a lot nicer than Dudley, at least. So how was it fair that Dudley got piles of gifts?

"Here," Petunia said, tossing a small, flat package over at him. "There you are."

Harry felt his heart skip a beat as excitement filled him. He carefully opened the package, wondering what could be inside. His heart fell, though, as he peeled the wrappings back and revealed a single postcard.

The Dursleys all let out loud laughs as they saw Harry's disappointment.

"You actually thought you got a toy!" Dudley sneered.

"He doesn't deserve anything of the sort," Vernon said. "And get that pout off your face, boy. It's damn lucky you got anything at all this year!"

Harry looked away. "Can I go back to my cupboard now?" he mumbled.

"Go," Petunia said simply, handing Dudley another present. "I'll call you when the dishes are ready to be washed."

Harry trudged back to the cupboard under the stairs, shutting the door firmly behind him. He laid down on his bed, wondering if Christmases with his parents had at least been more enjoyable. He would've only had one with them, he realized, but he wished more than anything he could've remembered it. He was positive his parents would've gotten him at least one present and wouldn't have made him eat stale crackers while the rest of the family enjoyed freshly baked coffee cake for breakfast.

As much as he would've liked to think that perhaps next Christmas would be better, he knew deep down that that was wishful thinking. He was never going to have a real Christmas so long as he lived with the Dursleys.

"I get to leave here when I turn eighteen," Harry said softly to himself. "That means I have…thirteen more years. Then I'll have a real Christmas."

…..

"We should go check on them," Harry said, craning his neck out of his bedroom door and looking down the hall.

"Harry, they're still sleeping," Ginny yawned from their bed. "It's only five in the morning; why would you expect them to be up?"

"Because it's _Christmas_ ," Harry said, rolling his eyes.

"Barely," Ginny muttered. "Come on, come back to bed. I'm sure they'll be up in another hour or so, begging us to go down so they can start opening presents."

"Alright," Harry conceded, settling back down next to his wife.

"Honestly, you're a bigger child then the kids are on Christmas morning," Ginny said, smiling as she sat up in bed.

"You're not going back to sleep?" Harry frowned.

"No, I doubt I'll be able to now that I'm up," Ginny sighed.

"Sorry," Harry said guiltily. "If it helps, your Christmas present this year is rather nice, if I do say so myself."

"I'm sure it is," Ginny said as Harry put his arm around her. "You know…you were never this excited for Christmas before we had the kids."

"What are you talking about?" Harry asked. "I loved Christmas at Hogwarts and with your family."

"Yes, but you weren't up at the crack of dawn, jumping with excitement, were you?" Ginny pointed out. "That didn't start until Teddy was three. Every Christmas since then you've been up hours before the children."  
"I like seeing how excited they are," Harry told her.

"Well yes, seeing as you always add more presents for them at the last minute, they're usually quite thrilled when they go downstairs," Ginny chuckled. "You spoil them during the holiday, you know."

"I do not," Harry defended. "You should've seen what the Dursleys used to get Dudley for Christmas. He got more gifts himself than the four of them do combined."

Ginny reached for her husband's hand. "That's why you're so excited for them to start Christmas, isn't it? You never got a proper Christmas morning as a child when you were there age."

"I suppose so," Harry admitted.

"They really never bought you one present?" Ginny asked softly. "All those years you were there?"

"You mean other than tissues, hangers and postcards? No," Harry replied. "That Christmas when I was in my first-year…that's the first time I remember ever waking up to something nice Christmas morning. I still have that sweater your mum made for me…can't bare to get rid of it."

"Merlin, that thing's probably covered in mothballs by now," Ginny smiled.

"You really think I spoil them too much at Christmas?" Harry sighed.

"A bit," Ginny nodded. "I saw that doll house you snuck in there for Lily…But, seeing as this is the only time of the year that you spoil them, I don't see the harm."

"Well that's a relief, because I really wasn't planning on stopping," Harry smirked.

Just then the couple heard footsteps, and a second later their bedroom door flew open as three-year old Lily bounced in.

"Up! Get up!" she exclaimed. "It's Christmas! We have to go open presents!"

"What are you still doing in bed?" James cried, rushing into the room behind his sister, followed shortly by Albus and Teddy.

"Yeah, come on you two," Teddy said.

"We're coming," Harry grinned, letting Lily climb up onto his shoulders. "Let's go!"


	60. Chapter 60

"So I can really just play chess on this thing whenever I want?" Ron said as he watched Harry set up a computer in the middle of their shared loft.

"Sure," Harry nodded, flipping through the instruction manual.

"And they can still hear me telling them where to go?" Ron asked. "Even through that screen thing?"

"You're not going to be telling the pieces anything," Harry explained. "All you have to do is use the mouse to click where you want to move them."

"There's a mouse?" Ron frowned. "Bloody hell, it's going to be a nightmare keeping Pig away from it."

"That's not-never mind, you'll see soon enough," Harry said, shaking his head. "If I ever manage to get this thing set up. Maybe I should've paid more attention to Dudley when he would set up the new computers he got for his birthday every year."

"Wish I could help, mate," Ron said. "But after what I did to that T.V. box, I don't reckon you want me near your muggle toys."

"Ah well, I'll take a break and deal with this later," Harry said, getting to his feet. "Are there any more of those pies your mum brought over?"

"In the kitchen," Ron nodded. "Hey…Harry, can I talk to you for a sec?"

"What's up?" Harry asked as they walked into the kitchen.

"Well, Christmas holiday is coming up," Ron said casually. "In just a few weeks."

"I know," Harry said.

"Right," Ron said. "Which means it's going to be the first time I've seen Hermione in months."

"You saw her at the end of last month in Hogsmeade," Harry said. "Remember? You and I went down to meet her and Ginny?"

"Yes, well, that doesn't really count," Ron said. "That was just for half of an afternoon. But my point is, I wanted to know if you'd be alright if she maybe stayed over here for a week. She'll spend the first part of the break with her parents."

"I don't mind if she stays over," Harry shrugged. "Figured she would, honestly."

"You'd really be fine with it?" Ron said. "Even with the two of us dating and all?"

"So long as you soundproof your room," Harry told him, rolling his eyes. "I've just stopped having nightmares about Voldemort, I don't need anymore added on."

"Right, I'm sure Hermione knows a spell to do that," Ron said, his face flushing slightly.

"Say, while we're on the subject," Harry said, awkwardly clearing his throat. "You know how your mum and dad are going to be staying with Bill and Fleur for the first part of the holiday, helping them start to prepare for the baby?"

"Yeah, so?" Ron said.

"Ginny and I were talking lately," Harry said, avoiding Ron's eye. "And we thought, if you'd be alright with it, that she could stay here for awhile."

"Oh," Ron said, somewhat awkwardly. "Um…well, I guess that'd be alright. So long as you're not spending the whole time snogging in the living room."

"Yeah, of course," Harry said quickly. "So um, great, I'll write Ginny now and tell her the good news."

"I'll tell Hermione as well," Ron said. "I can't wait."

…..

"Barely made it," Ron said as him and Harry burst through the barrier to platform Nine-and-Three-Quarters. The scarlet Hogwarts Express was just opening its doors, and students were beginning to file out. "Alright, do you see either of them?"

"No," Harry said, looking around. "Not-"

He was cut off as he was almost knocked to his feet.

"Blimey, Gin," Harry said, grinning, as he steadied himself. "Trying to knock me out before I get a chance to say hello?"

"'Lo," Ginny smiled. "I've missed you."

She leaned up and kissed Harry's lips.

"Missed you too," Harry said when they pulled apart.

"Oh, don't mind me," Ron said, rolling his eyes at the scene.

"We're trying not to," Ginny said coolly, though she pulled herself away from Harry and gave her brother a quick hug.

"Where's Hermione?" Ron asked, looking around.

"Still on the train, I'd imagine," Ginny said. "She's Head Girl, remember? She has to see everybody off, along with Neville. Oh, there's Luna!"

"Hello Ron, hello Harry," Luna said, stepping over with her trunk.

"Hi, Luna," Harry replied. "Have a good term so far?"

"Oh yes, it's been wonderful," Luna said. "Castle has been full of Himmy Fairies."

"What?" Ron frowned.

"They're small fairies that nest around newly built buildings," Luna explained. "I suspect they're nesting at Hogwarts because of all the repairs that were just done. It's been most fun trying to catch them."

"Right…" Ron said, still scanning the area for Hermione.

"If you're around for the holiday, you should stop by for dinner one night," Harry told her.

"Yes, Ron and Harry have their own place now," Ginny said, taking Harry's hand. "It's very _sophisticated_."

"Oh, I wish I could, but I'll be in Spain with dad," Luna replied. "We're going to be looking for-"

"Hermione!" Ron exclaimed, cutting her off.

Hermione had finally got off the train and, after hearing Ron yell her name, turned and hurried over towards the group.

"Ron!" Hermione beamed as Ron threw his arms around her.

"Bloody hell, I've missed you," Ron said, leaning down to kiss her.

"I've missed you too," Hermione said, kissing him back. "It's so different without you at Hogwarts with me. And you as well, Harry!"

"Far more peaceful, I imagine?" Harry smirked, giving Hermione a quick hug hello.

"A bit," Hermione nodded. "Strangely enough, it's harder to concentrate without the pair of you begging to copy me essays."

"Well, if you want, I can come up with other ways to distract you while you try to work," Ron said to her, raising an eyebrow suggestively.

"Merlin, you talk about us," Ginny said, shaking her head in disgust as Hermione blushed crimson and playfully swatted his shoulder.


	61. Chapter 61

"You're mad, James," Rose said, rolling her eyes.

"I'm telling you, this could be the year we finally do it!" James said eagerly, looking around at the group of his cousins.

"I'm with Rose," Fred said. "There's no way."

"Well I'm with James," Lily said. "I think this is our chance."

"No way," Dominique scoffed.

"Just listen!" James exclaimed. "I really think we have a shot at this. I know we've dreamed about finally beating our parents in a Quidditch match for years, and for years it's always seemed impossible."

"Well we've tried it before," Rose pointed out. "And we got absolutely destroyed."

"That was five years ago!" James said. "Hardly and of us were even at Hogwarts playing on our house teams. Now that I've been made the Gryffindor captain-"

"Honestly, do you find _some_ excuse to mention that every ten minutes?" Lucy smirked.

"-And the rest of us are far better," James continued, glaring at his cousin. "I reckon we can finally outplay them! Oi, Teddy! Take a break from snogging Vicky and back me up!"

"Hmm?" Teddy said, pulling away from Victoire. "Oh…I dunno, James. Are you forgetting that your mum _and_ Fred's mum were both professional Quidditch players?"

"Ages ago," Lily said.

"She's right," Roxanne nodded. "My mum hasn't played since Fred was born. And Aunt Ginny hasn't played since James."

"Uncle George, Uncle Charlie, Uncle Ron, and Uncle Harry are all amazing flyers, though," Molly pointed out. "They were all Quidditch stars while they were at school."

"Yes, but again, that was _ages_ ago," James said. "They're all old now. We're at our peak, and they're getting to the point where they can hardly mount a broom."

"Mum would murder you if she heard you say that about her," Albus said.

"Come on, who's up for challenging them with me?" James asked.

"I'm in," Fred said.

"Me too," Lily nodded.

"Same here," Roxanne agreed.

"I guess it'd be interesting," Molly said slowly.

"Oh alright," Rose sighed. "What harm could it do?"

"Excellent," James grinned. "Come on then, let's go."

The group of cousins, as well as Teddy, headed into the Burrow, where their parents were lounging around the sitting room, talking amongst themselves.

"Oh, there you all are," Mrs. Weasley smiled at her grandchildren. "Come in for something to eat, I suppose? I have some meatballs ready in the kitchen if you'd like."

"We're not hungry, grandmum," James said quickly. "We've come to propose something."

"What?" Ginny asked, looking at her son suspiciously.

"We'd like to have a Quidditch match," James said. "Us against you lot."

"That's right," Fred nodded. "It's the perfect opportunity. Everybody's here already for Christmas Eve dinner."

"Hold on, haven't we already done this?" Ron frowned.

"That's right," Bill nodded. "About five years ago."

"Yes, you all destroyed the poor kids," Hermione said, shaking her head.

"Well we weren't going to just let them win," Ginny grinned. "What sort of lesson would that have been?"

"Well we reckon we have a real shot against you now," Molly said.

"Yeah, half of us were still flying around on our Junior Nimbuses last time," Lily said. "Now, though, we can put together a real team."

"You know, it is perfect weather right now," Harry said thoughtfully. "And dinner isn't going to be ready for hours…"

"Well, I'm always up for some Quidditch," Angelina said.

"Same here," Charlie nodded. "It's been terribly windy in Romania lately; I haven't been on a broomstick in months."

"Perfect, it's settled then," James said. "You figure out your team, and we'll do the same. We'll meet you out in the yard in half-an-hour."

"And you can't just let us win," Roxy added.

"Course we wont," George smirked. "We had no problem beating you all five years ago, when some of you were still arguably cute. Now that you've all hit that moody teenager stage, it will be even more enjoyable to crush you."

"Ah, you'll be eating those words shortly," James grinned. "Come on, let's go sort out who's playing what position, and then we'll start warming up."

The group headed back out to the yard, where James stood up on a nearby tree stump.

"Alright you guys, you saw how cocky they all were in there, they all think they're going to beat us again," he said. "We've got to play like we've never played before."

"I've never been so thankful to be a Ravenclaw in my life," Molly said, rolling her eyes. "Don't know how I could take this bossiness if I was on the Gryffindor team. Rose, Freddie, Lil, my condolences."

"I'm not being bossy, I'm being a _captain,_ Molly," James snapped. "And you'll see just how effective of a captain I am when Gryffindor destroys Ravenclaw when we get back to school. But in the meantime…Vic, Louis, Lucy, Hugo, Albus…er, not that you're not strong flyers, but seeing as we can only have seven players…"

"Please, I'd much rather watch," Victoire said at once. "I hate flying. Teddy took me for a ride on his broomstick the other day and the wind completely ruined my hair."

"I think it still looked nice," Teddy grinned.

"Enough with the snogging already!" James exclaimed as the pair of them moved closer to one another. "This is Quidditch going on!"

"Everybody who isn't playing can help James captain the team," Albus said. "He's not going to be able to see everything while he's flying around. He can be your eyes on the ground."

"Sure, if that's what you want to do, go right ahead," James said.

"We'll still be a player over, even with them not playing," Rose said. "But we will need a referee, and I think it should be Teddy. He's fair and unbiased."

"Alright, I'll do it," Teddy shrugged.

"Perfect," James said. "Now as for positions…I say we use Lily, Dom, and Roxy as Chasers. Molly and Fred will be our Beaters. Rose, you'll be our Keeper, and I'll of course be the Seeker. Sound good?"

There was a murmur of agreement.

"Rosie, you'll have to be in top form," James told his cousin. "Even if they are old, my mum and Aunt Angelina are strong scorers."

"Who do you think will be there third Chaser?" Lily frowned.

"My dad, most likely," Dominique said. "He's decent on a broomstick. The real question will be who they'll use as Seeker; Uncle Charlie or Uncle Harry."

"It'll most likely be Uncle Harry," Rose said. "Uncle Charlie can play well as a Beater."

"My dad still has good aim with a Bludger," Roxy said. "So we'll have to be careful. Plus Uncle Ron's difficult to get anything past."

"It's going to be tough," James said slowly. "But I really think this could be the time we finally beat them. Just play with all you've got."

…..

"Alright then, hopefully everybody's kept fit since our last match," George said back inside the Burrow. "We've got our pride to protect here."

"Pride? Dey are our cheeldren!" Fleur said. "'vat does it matter who wins?"

"It matters because if they win, we'll never live it down," Bill said.

"He's right," Ginny sighed. "We've got to play our best."

"Just be careful," Hermione said. "Last game poor Lily and Fred wound up falling off their broomsticks."

"They were about six inches from the ground, they were fine," Ron said. "Besides, half of them are bigger than us now. Fred and James are giants. So, who's playing what? I'm Keeper, of course."

"I suppose you _are_ the only option," Ginny grinned. She turned to Angelina. "Looks like we'll be coming out of retirement again. And Bill, you'll be the third Chaser again?"

"Alright," Bill agreed.

"Pass the quaffle to him at least once, this time," Charlie smirked.

"Which one of you will be playing Seeker then?" Angelina asked, looking at Charlie and Harry.

"Harry can," Charlie said at once. "I'll be the second Beater. Besides, Harry will have more motivation to catch that Snitch. It'll be bloody embarrassing if his son gets it from under his own nose."

"Don't worry, I can still outfly James," Harry said.

"You sure? He's very good now," Ginny said. "We'll try to put away enough goals to give us a comfortable enough lead without the Snitch."

"Thanks for your confidence," Harry said to his wife.

"It won't matter if Harry catches the Snitch if they get in too many goals," George said, looking at Ron.

"You think I can't handle Lily, Roxy, and Dom?" Ron scoffed. "That's who they'll have playing. Besides, if you do you job as Beater, they won't get many chances to take a shot on me."

"Relax, I'll handle them," George assured him. "We'd better get out there then. Let's give these kids the defeat they've begged for."

…

"Twenty-eight goals!" Ginny scoffed, glaring at Ron an hour later. "How could you have let in _twenty-eight goals_? The Keeper for the Cannons could've done a better job than you!"

"Thought you could handle Lily, Dom, and Roxy," Harry said, rolling his eyes at his best friend. "You hardly blocked anything they threw at you, mate."

"They got a lot better since I last played them!" Ron defended. "Think Lily bruised one of my ribs with her last shot…Besides, it's not like I had any help; George and Charlie didn't get them with a single Bludger!"  
"How could we? Molly and Fred sent any Bludger from us flying away," George mumbled.

"Yes, towards us," Ginny snapped, massaging her shoulder. "We must've been hit with about three dozen Bludgers no thanks to you two."

"More like four dozen," Angelina said darkly. "That's why we were hardly able to score anything."

"Oh don't you try to blame that pathetic performance on us," Charlie countered. "Even when you didn't have a Bludger coming towards you, your aims were all terrible! Bill I can forgive, but I thought you two were supposed to be professionals."

"Ten goals between you three," Harry smirked. "Pitiful."

"Well if you would've just caught the snitch at the beginning of the bloody game, we would've been spared all of this!" Ginny retorted. "James absolutely destroyed you! The snitch was flying about three yards away from you at the end and James _still_ managed to catch it from right under your nose."

"He has longer arms than me now, course he was able to catch it first," Harry muttered.

The adults all turned and looked over at their children, who were all currently celebrating in the middle of the yard as though they had just won the Quidditch World Cup.

"Well, get ready for a long next few weeks," George sighed. "We'll never be hearing the end of this."


	62. Chapter 62

"I'm telling you, it's the absolute worst," Albus fumed to his parents as he sat at the kitchen table, eating lunch with them. "Having your best friend date your cousin? And Rose is more my sister than my cousin! There should be rules about this!"

"Well, if there were, I'm afraid you wouldn't be here, Al," Ginny smirked, glancing at Harry.

"Fair point," Harry grinned, leaning over and kissing his wife.

"You two are just as nauseating as Rose and Scorpius," Albus muttered.

"You know, I really feel for Ron," Harry commented, pouring himself more orange juice. "Having his daughter dating Malfoy's son?"

"You know Scorpius is nothing like Draco," Ginny pointed out.

"I know, Scorpius is a very decent wizard," Harry agreed. "But still…He's handling it quite nicely, though. According to Hermione he's only begged Rose to break it off with him twice."

"Well I'm on Uncle Ron's side," Albus said. "I'd be more than thrilled if they broke it off."

"Oh, don't give Rosie a hard time," Lily said, coming down into the kitchen. "Her and Scorpius are lovely together."

"Listen to your sister," Ginny said firmly, handing Lily a plate of toast and eggs. "Don't you interfere in that relationship."

"Whose relationship aren't we interfering in?" James asked, suddenly apperating into the kitchen.

"Rose and Scorpius," Harry replied. "What are you doing here James?"

"Yeah, don't you have your own flat now?" Lily pointed out.

"Yes, but there's no food there," James shrugged. "And I need a good breakfast before Quidditch practice."

"You could learn to cook for yourself, you know?" Ginny said, rolling her eyes as she handed her eldest child a plate.

"And take away the joy of taking care of your first-born from you?" James said. "I couldn't do that to you, mum."

"How considerate," Ginny smirked.

"Anyway, what's this you were saying about Rosie and Scorpius? They're not still together, are they?" James frowned.

"Yes, they are,' Albus said darkly. "And it's infuriating. All the two of them want to do is cuddle up together."

"Well maybe if you found someone, you wouldn't be so bitter about them," Lily pointed out.

James glanced at Albus. "Don't you already-ow!"

"Shut it," Albus hissed.

"Are you seeing someone, Al?" Harry grinned at his son.

"Thanks," Albus muttered darkly to his brother.

"Who is it?" Ginny asked. "I didn't know you had a girlfriend."

"She's not my girlfriend," Albus said quickly. "She's just someone I fancy…a lot."

"More than a lot," James scoffed. "You should see the letters he sent me."

"Well, no matter how much I fancy her, I can't exactly date her," Albus sighed, still glaring at his brother.

"Why not?" Harry asked.

"She's…from the muggle villiage," Albus said.

"What's wrong with that?" Ginny frowned.

"Nothing," Albus said. "But how on earth would I explain me going off to Hogwarts after the Easter holiday? Or, well, any of this?"

"I wouldn't let that stop you, if you really like her," Harry said. "Lots of witches and wizards have had to explain magic to their partners at some point."

"Ask your Uncle Percy about how he told Aunt Audrey," Ginny suggested.

"Yeah, that way we can meet her," Lily said excitedly, finishing her breakfast. "Well, I'm going over to see Lysander. I'll be home-"

"By dinner time," Harry said firmly. "And not a second later."

"Fine," Lily said, rolling her eyes. "That's plenty of time, I suppose. Bye everyone!"

"Plenty of time for what?" Harry frowned as Lily headed out to the fireplace.

"Oh Harry, I'm sure they're just going to be studying for their O.W.L.s," Ginny said.

"Yeah, right," James said, shaking his head in disgust. "Studying…I'm telling you, dad, you really should've put your foot down about her dating."

He got to his feet. "I'll see you lot for dinner then."

"What was the point of him moving into his own flat if he's just going to be around here all the time?" Albus frowned as his brother disapperated.

"You'll be the same way," Harry smirked.

Just then they heard someone stumble out of the fireplace in the living room, and a moment later Rose stormed into the kitchen.

"My father," she fumed. "Is unbelievably childish!"

"What's the matter, Rose?" Ginny asked.

"He's giving me a hard time about Scorpius again," she sighed, sitting down next to Albus.

"Rose, you know he's only kidding with you," Harry said.

"No, not about this," Rose said, shaking her head. "Every Easter holiday, Scorpius's family has a big feast, like we do at the Burrow. His grandmother hosts it at her manor. Scorpius wants me, Hugo and my parents to come over for it, but my dad is absolutely refusing to let that happen."

"Why?" Albus asked.

"Because he's completely unreasonable," Rose said, frustrated. "He says that he'll arrange for us to have a feast at our house or something. But it's completely stupid! He just thinks that if we're under his roof, he'll be able to keep us from sneaking off or something."

"The dinner is at Malfoy Manor?" Harry said slowly, glancing at Ginny.

"That's right," Rose nodded. "I've never been, of course, but Scorpius tells me it's one of those old fashion estates. He thinks his grandmother is mad for staying in it alone after his grandfather died, but I suppose they want to keep it in their family."

"Oh Rose…" Ginny sighed. "I-I really don't think your father is trying to give you a hard time by not wanting you all to go over there."

"What do you mean? What other reason is there?" Rose frowned.

"Ginny's right," Harry said. "I-I know what he's doing, and it has got nothing to do with you and Scorpius dating."

"What do-"

"You should talk to your dad," Ginny said quickly. "Trust us, he's not doing this out of spite."

….

Later that afternoon, Rose waited on top of a small hill a short while from her home. She looked around impatiently, and then almost fell over in surprise as Scorpius suddenly apperated at her side.

"I'm still not used to you doing that," Rose said, catching her breath.

"Well, if you had passed your apperation test, you could've apperated over to my place," Scorpius smirked.

"You and Albus are never going to let me live that down, are you?" Rose sighed.

"What? That there was actually a test that the two of us passed and you didn't?" Scorpius said. "Oh never."

"Very funny," Rose said, rolling her eyes.

"What have you been up to today?" Scorpius asked, lacing their hands together.

"Nothing much," Rose said. "I spent the morning with Albus preparing for the N.E.W.T.s. Oh, and at breakfast this morning, I told my dad about you wanting us to have dinner with your family, and he shot the idea down."

Scorpius's face fell.

"Ridiculous," Rose huffed. "Hopefully my mum can talk some sense into him. She had already left for work when I asked, but maybe-"

"Rose, I-I wanted to talk to you about that," Scorpius said slowly. "See…I asked your family to come before checking with my parents. I assumed they'd say yes, so I didn't think it'd make a difference."

"Did they say no?" Rose frowned.

Scorpius shook his head. "My father said…My father said it'd be best if we had it our home, instead of the manor."

"How come?" Rose asked.

Scorpius looked away.

" _Did_ they tell you why?" Rose asked.

"My dad did, yes," Scorpius said. "He um, he said your parents wouldn't want to go there."

"But why-"

"I think you should talk to your parents," Scorpius said, not meeting her eye.

"Al's parents told me the same thing," Rose said, confused. "Scorpius…what's going on?"

"Just…send me an owl once you've talked to your parents," Scorpius said. "If-If you want."

"Why wouldn't I want to?"

"Just…go on and talk to them," Scorpius said heavily. He leaned down and gave her a short kiss. "I'll see you around."

…..

"Malfoy Manor?" Hermione repeated, feeling her body tense up.

"We're not going," Ron said firmly. "I'm not making you relive all of that."

Hermione didn't reply as she stared down at her arm. Though her robes covered the scar, she could still feel the sting of the words that were carved into her skin underneath them.

"Rose doesn't know what happened there," Hermione sighed. "I doubt Malfoy told Scorpius either. They don't understand…"

"I know," Ron said, putting his arms protectively around her. "Look, Rose can blame it all on me. I don't mind, I'll be the bad parent."

Just then the back door opened and Rose came inside.

"Mum," she said, heading straight towards them. "Dad…what happened at Malfoy Manor?"

"Rose-" Ron began.

"Why don't you want to go?" Rose asked softly. "I-I know there's a reason…"

"Come on," Hermione said, taking a deep breath. "Let's you and I have a talk, Rosie."

"Will you be alright?" Ron asked her gently.

"Yes," Hermione said, giving him a small smile. She turned back to Rose. "Let's go, sweetheart."

She led Rose up to her bedroom.

"Your father isn't trying to hurt your relationship with Scorpius," Hermione said, closing the door behind her. "He doesn't want us to go to Malfoy Manor because he's trying to protect me."

"Protect you?" Rose repeated. "Protect you from what?"  
"When we were hunting for horcruxes," Hermione began. "Your father, Uncle Harry, and I, there was a time, when we were camping in the woods, that we were caught by Snatchers."

"Snatchers?"  
"They were gangs of wizards that formed during that time," Hermione explained. "They worked closely with the Death Eaters. We were caught by some, and they brought us to Malfoy Manor."

Rose's eyes widened.

"When we got there, Bellatrix Lestrange was there," Hermione continued. "She didn't recognize us right away, at first. Before the Snatchers got a good look at Harry I was able to cast a spell to swell his face. But she saw that we had the Sword of Gryfindor…We've told you how there were two swords; one was a fake while the other was real? The sword we had was real. Bellatrix Lestrange had the fake one in her vault at Gringotts. She didn't know it was a fake, though. Anyway, she thought we had been into her vault and had taken the sword from there, which frightened her, because Voldemort had trusted her to hide one of his other horcruxes there."

"Hufflepuff's Cup," Rose nodded, recalling the detail from the times her parents had told her this story.

"We tried to tell her that the sword _we_ had was a fake," Hermione said. "But she was still convinced we had somehow gotten into her vault. So-So she ordered for your father and Harry to be taken down to the basement and she took me to try to get me to admit we had stolen from her."

"How-How did she do that?" Rose asked softly.

"The Cruciatus Curse," Hermione said, closing her eyes.

"She used it on you?"

"Over and over and over again," Hermione nodded. "And then she brought out her knife and…"

She slowly rolled up her sleeve, revealing her scar. Rose stared down at the words blazing from her mother's arm… 'Mudblood'. Her and Hugo had always asked how she had gotten that scar. Hermione had always simply replied that it had been from the war, and then the matter was dropped.

"She did that to you?" Rose whispered in disgust, feeling tears welling in her eyes. "While she had you there?"

"Yes," Hermione whispered. "I don't remember much else, I was coming in and out of consciousness at that point. But that's why your father doesn't want us to go back to Malfoy Manor…he doesn't want me to go back there. And I'm sorry Rose, but he's right. I can't."

Rose stared up at her mother, who had always been the strongest person she had ever known. She didn't think she had any weakness, but as it turned out, there was one…

"I don't want you to go back there," Rose said at once, wiping her eyes. "I'm so sorry, mum, I-I had no idea."

"I know, Rose," Hermione said, stroking her hair.

Rose stared down at her lap, remembering Scorpius' behavior previously that day.

"The Malfoys…" Rose said slowly. "Did they-Did they torture you as well?"

"No," Hermione said. "By this time in the war, they had lost a lot of their influence with Voldemort. Their home was used just because of its size and its accessibility. This was all Bellatrix. I remember seeing Draco there…he was terrified. He was just trapped, and didn't have many options to get out."

"They're related to Bellatrix Lestrange, though," Rose said. "I-I know that she's Scorpius' great aunt."

"That doesn't matter," Hermione said at once.

"But-"

"She's Teddy's great, great-aunt, you know," Hermione told her.

"Wait…really?" Rose frowned.

"Teddy's mother and Scorpius's father were cousins," Hermione nodded. "They-They never had any sort of relationship, though…Teddy's grandmother broke apart from her family. But you've known Teddy all your life…that boy hasn't a bad bone in his body."

"No," Rose agreed.

"Look, Scorpius' father…he-he's come around," Hermione said. "Now, I won't lie to you, him, your father, Uncle Harry, and I are never going to be best friends. But we all don't want to let our histories ruin yours."

Rose said nothing as she slowly wrapped her arms around her mother. "I'm sorry that you had to go through that," Rose whispered. "I love you, mum."

Hermione returned her embrace. "I love you too, Rose."

…

That evening, Rose was once again waiting on the hillside. She heard a loud pop a few meters away from her.

"Tried not scare you this time," Scorpius said, jogging over to her.

Rose gave him a small smile.

"You-You talked to your parents, didn't you?" Scorpius asked hesitantly.

"Yes," Rose nodded.

"And you found out what happened at Malfoy Manor? That-That your mum was-"

"Yes," Rose whispered. "She told me."

"I had no idea about any of that when I asked you to go there," Scorpius said quickly. "I swear."

"I know you didn't," Rose told him.

"I'm so sorry," Scorpius said.

"My mum said your family had nothing to do with her torture," Rose said. "She said it was only Bellatrix Lestrange."

"Well she's part of my family too, isn't she?" Scorpius pointed out. "Technically."

"You're not anything like her," Rose said firmly. "And your father…my parents and Uncle Harry have said that's he's changed…he's nothing like her anymore either."

"I just…I hate that we have that history," Scorpius sighed. "I hate having my name associated with the Dark Arts. And to have any sort of relations to someone who was capable of doing such things, especially to your mother…I-I don't know how they've managed to come to terms with my family. Honestly, I think your dad's been too easy on me, to tell you the truth."

"They know that blood is irrelevant," Rose said, taking his hand.

Scorpius nodded slowly. "I've never seen my father look so ashamed," he muttered. "When-When he told me what happened to your mum at the manor…he regrets every second of it. Even if he didn't do it himself."

"We all know," Rose assured him. She squeezed his hand gently. "My parents really _are_ trying to look past everything that happened between them and your dad…for us. But I don't think they'll ever go back to Malfoy Manor and-and Scorpius, I don't want to go there either. I'm sorry, I know that-"

"It's alright," Scorpius told her. "After hearing what happened there, I don't think I'll be able to go back either."

He put his arms around Rose, letting her head rest against his chest.

"My dad says that if your parents are up for it, we can have dinner at our house tonight," Rose told him. "Do you think they'd want to come?"

"Yes," Scorpius nodded. "I'll let them know."

Rose gave him a small smile. "They'll never be close, you know. No matter how long we're together, our parents are always going to have this history between them."

"I know," Scorpius said heavily. "But…that doesn't have to affect us. And I don't think our parents want it to."

"No," Rose agreed. "They know how much we care about each other."


	63. Chapter 63

"So what do you and Hermione have planned for the day?" Harry asked as him and Ron sat at a small table at The Three Broomsticks with four mugs of butterbeer.

"Oh, you know, we thought we'd just walk around together," Ron said, clearing his throat. "Do some shopping…"

Harry gave him a knowing look.

"Fine," Ron conceded. "We're not going to stay in Hogsmeade. Once we finish our drinks here, we're going to apperate to a muggle village and have lunch together at this romantic restaurant. She told me how to make the reservation in one of her letters…I just hope I did it right."

"Wow, you got Hermione to sneak out of Hogsmeade?" Harry grinned. "She must really fancy you."

"It was her idea," Ron smirked. "So what about you and Ginny?"

"Thought you said you never wanted to hear anything about our relationship," Harry reminded him.

"Hmm, fair point," Ron said. He looked at his watch. "Wonder where they are; weren't they supposed to be here by now?"

Before Harry could respond, the door of the Three Broomsticks opened and Ginny Weasley walked inside; snow sticking to her bright red hair. Harry grinned widely as Ginny quickly spotted their table and hurried over.

"Harry!" she exclaimed as she threw her arms around him. "Oh, I'm so glad you were able to make it to Hogsmeade today."

"So am I," Harry smiled, his arms still around her as he leaned down to kiss her. "Happy Valentine's Day, Ginny. Well, even if it's a few days early."

"Happy early Valentine's to you as well," Ginny replied, kissing him back.

"Oh, don't mind me here," Ron said, making a show of gagging loudly as the couple pulled apart.

"Shut it, you," Ginny said simply as her and Harry sat back down. "We haven't seen each other in weeks. You'll be just as affectionate with Hermione."

"Where _is_ Hermione?" Ron asked. "Thought she'd be coming with you."

"A few second years were trying to sneak into the village," Ginny explained. "So as Head Girl, Hermione had to handle them. She should be coming any moment, though."

Right on cue, the pub door opened again, and Hermione walked inside.

It was Ron's turn to grin like an idiot, and the moment that Hermione spotted the table, she hurried over and Ron wasted no time in pulling her into an embrace.

"Blimey, I've missed you," Ron said, holding her tightly.

"I've missed you too, Ron," Hermione said, beaming up as she craned her neck to kiss him. "I've been looking forward to you coming today for weeks."

"First Valentines Day with a girlfriend, you think I was going to miss that?" Ron smirked. "Course not." He leaned down and kissed her again.

"Oh don't mind us here," Ginny grinned, mimicking her older brother as she rolled her eyes.

"Hi, Harry," Hermione said, her cheeks flushing slightly as she pulled away from Ron and the couple sat back down at the table. "Ginny and I were so glad when they posted the date for this Hogsmeade visit and we saw it was the weekend before Valentine's. But we were worried you might not make it; you both had that Auror mission going on."

"We got back yesterday afternoon," Harry said. "And then we stayed at the Ministry until about six this morning doing all the bloody paperwork so we'd be free now to see you."

"Aren't you tired then?" Ginny asked, concerned.

"Just a bit," Harry replied. "But it's definitely worth it."

"I'll say," Ron agreed, looking right at Hermione. He finished his last swig of butterbeer. "Well, we should probably get going, Hermione. I think we have to be at the restaurant at one…At least that's the time I told the bloke on the telleyphone when I called to do that reservation thing."

"Oh, yes you're right," Hermione said, finishing her own drink. "I think we'll be safe disapparating from behind the post office; no one will be near there. We'll see you two later; we can meet back here before Ginny and I head back to the school."

"Have fun," Ginny said as the pair left the Three Broomsticks.

"We should get going too," Harry told her, taking her hand under the table. "Are you ready?"

"Very," Ginny said, her eyes sparkling. The two headed outside, and Harry carefully reached into his bag and pulled out the Invisibility Cloak. In one swift motion, he pulled it over them both.

"I've never been under here before," Ginny commented softly. "So no one can really see us?"

"Nope," Harry told her. "That's why it's called an _Invisibility_ Cloak."

"Funny," Ginny said, playfully swatting his shoulder. "But it covers the both of us fully? Somebody might see if our feet show."

"It'll be a close squeeze, but if you nudge in close to me, we'll be fine," Harry assured her.

"I can manage that," Ginny smiled, moving even closer to Harry.

"Alright," Harry said. "Let's go."

The couple carefully maneuvered themselves around the shoppers and students, finally reaching their destination a few moments later.

"Keep the cloak on until we're inside," Harry told her as they crouched under the fence in front of the Shrieking Shack. "In case anybody is nearby."

"I don't think anybody's here," Ginny said, looking around. "It's freezing out; everybody in their right mind is inside. You know, I reckon you'd just like the excuse to keep me pressed close to you like this under the cloak."

"Perhaps," Harry said simply, winking at her.

"Very clever, Potter," Ginny said, impressed.

Once they entered the Shrieking Shack, Harry pulled the cloak off of them and stored it back in his bag. He quickly performed Homenum Revelio, confirming that him and Ginny were the only ones present in the shack.

"I know it's a bit…dirty," Harry said. "But it was the only place I could think of where we could be completely alone."

"I can stand a bit of dirt, you know," Ginny said, taking his hand and leading him up the stairs. They headed into the bedroom furthest from the stairs. Ginny expected it to be just as dust-covered as the rest of the shack, but she was surprised to see that the room was perfectly clean; not a speck of dirt or dust in sight.

"I got to the village early," Harry explained. "While Ron was still finishing up his paperwork, I came here and did a bit of cleaning. Only managed to get one room done, but I thought it'd be alright."

"It's lovely," Ginny said softly. She put her arms around Harry's neck and kissed him. When she pulled apart, she grinned mischievously as she spotted the oversized sofa sitting in the corner of the room. "I'm hoping you also cleaned that couch over there?"

"Course," Harry said at once, smiling as Ginny led him over to it. He sat down and pulled her down onto his lap. Their lips reconnected at once, and for the next several moments, neither spoke as they got reacquainted with one another.

"Hang on," Harry said, out of breath once they pulled apart. "I want to give you your Valentine's present."

"I thought you coming up here today was my present," Ginny said. "You didn't have to get me anything."

"Well, it's not just for Valentine's," Harry said. "Since we're also celebrating something else today…I haven't gotten a chance to properly congratulate you on officially making the Harpies."

Ginny blushed slightly. "It's not that big of a deal. I'll be starting on the reserve team; I'll probably only see real playing time when we play teams like the Cannons."

"It _is_ a big deal," Harry said firmly. "And you'll do brilliant on the team. You'll be in their starting line-up in no time."

"You have to say that," Ginny said, rolling her eyes. "It's part of your job as my boyfriend."

"That's a fair point," Harry agreed. "But, as your former Quidditch captain, I can objectively say that you are an amazing flyer."

He reached into his back and pulled out a flat, square-shaped box and handed it to her. Ginny opened it up, letting out a soft gasp as she saw the silver bracelet with two small charms; a quaffle and the Holy Head Harpies logo.

"Harry, this is beautiful," Ginny said softly. "I love it. Thank you."

She leaned up to kiss him again. "And now your present."

"You didn't have to-"

"Oh save it, Potter," Ginny said, getting up from his lap to grab her bag, which she had dropped unceremoniously by the door. She pulled out a package from her bag. "When I was at your flat over the Christmas holiday, I couldn't help but think that it was a bit…plain looking."

"Yes, you mum has told me and Ron that about a dozen times," Harry said, rolling his eyes.

"Well, I thought I'd give you a few things to spruce the place up," Ginny said.

Harry unwrapped the parcel, revealing three framed photographs. The first frame had a picture of him and Ginny flying around the backyard of the Burrow together. The second frame housed a picture of him with Teddy, the small child giggling as stared happily up at his godfather. The final picture, which had been taken a few nights before Ginny had returned to Hogwarts after the past Christmas holiday. It was Harry and Ginny with their arms both wrapped around Teddy.

"Ginny…these are wonderful," Harry said hoarsely. "Thank you."

He gently set the frames down and pulled her closer to him.

"I'm glad you like them," Ginny said. "It took me weeks to think of them; what am I supposed to get the Chosen One for Valentine's Day, after all?"

"I would've been perfectly happy just spending the afternoon here with you," Harry told her. "But really, those pictures…I love them."

"Not bad for our first Valentine's Day gifts," Ginny said, staring down admiringly at her bracelet.

"Well," Harry smiled. "Those frames are actually the _second_ Valentine's gift I've gotten from you."

"What are you talking about?" Ginny frowned, confused. "This is the first time we've been together this time of year."

"Yes, but don't you remember your first year?" Harry grinned. "When Lockhart had all of those bloody cupids delivering Valentine's messages?"

Ginny's face immediately went bright red. "Oh don't you dare…" she moaned.

"How did your message to me go again?" Harry said thoughtfully. "Oh yes. _His eyes are as green as a fresh pickled toad. His hair is as dark as a blackboard. I wish he was mine, he really is divine. The hero who conquered the Dark Lord._ "

"That was six years ago, how in the world did you remember those lines?" Ginny snapped, her face still crimson.

"Racked my memory for about two hours," Harry said.

"Oh, that's a fantastic use of your time," Ginny scoffed.

"I _do_ wish I had gotten to keep the parchment with the original message though," Harry said playfully. "Think I would've had it put right above my bed."

"I was _eleven_ ," Ginny said as Harry laughed. "I had a stupid schoolgirl's crush on you. That's all."

"Is it?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow. "And what about now? Still just a silly crush to you am I?"

"No, I suppose I'm very much in love with you now," Ginny sighed, giving him a small smirk.

"Brilliant," Harry replied. "Because I happen to be very much in love with you as well."

He brushed the hair out of Ginny's eyes and kissed her gently. "At least the last bit of your poem came true, you know."

"Yes, you did manage to conquer the Dark Lord yet again," Ginny agreed.

"No, not that," Harry told her. "I _am_ yours now."

Ginny smiled, resting her forehead against his as she kissed the tip of his nose. "If only my eleven-year old self could hear that news…Tell me though, so I can prepare myself…am I going to be forced to hear you recite that humiliating poem every single Valentine's Day?"

"Oh absolutely," Harry said at once.

"Lovely," Ginny sighed.


	64. Chapter 64

"Slytherin?" Lily frowned, nearly dropping her bacon as she sat at the kitchen table. "Are you being serious?"

"Yes, Lily," Harry nodded, pouring himself a mug of coffee. "Your brother is in Slytherin."

"But Albus is the _nice_ brother," Lily said, confused. "How could he be in Slytherin, daddy?"

"Lily, what have I always told you about the Hogwarts houses?" Harry asked.

"That they don't really matter," Lily replied. "But still-"

"Your brother isn't going to suddenly change just because of where he's sorted," Harry told her. "You know that, don't you?"

Lily nodded slowly.

"He'll be fine," Harry assured her. "Besides, I'm sure Rose will sneak him into the Gryffindor common room quite often."

"Do you think I'll be a Slytherin when I go to Hogwarts?" Lily asked.

"Maybe you will be, maybe you won't," Harry said simply. "We'll just have to wait two more years to find out."

"How about just one more?" Lily asked, flashing her father a smile. "Please? Just write to Professor McGonagall and tell her you want me to start school early."

"Lily, you're the youngest child, which means your mum and I aren't really in any hurry to get rid of you, love," Harry chuckled. "We're not about to have you leave home sooner than you have to. Besides, you know McGonagall would never bend the rules for you."

Just then there was a loud popping noise, and Teddy apperated into the center of the kitchen.

"Excellent, bacon," Teddy said happily, helping himself to a few pieces off of Harry's plate. "Any coffee left?"

"In the pot," Harry said. "Are you on your way to Auror training then?"

"Yes," Teddy said, sitting down next to Lily. "I needed breakfast first, though."

"And I suppose your own kitchen was empty then?" Harry smirked knowingly.

"Not entirely," Teddy defended. "I have a few packages of crisps in one of my cabinets. Anyway, did Albus write you and Ginny about where he's been Sorted?"

"He's a Slytherin," Lily told him before Harry could reply.

"A Slytherin, huh?" Teddy said thoughtfully. "Bet James is in a right state over that."

"He is," Harry said. "I guarantee you he's in McGonagall's office right now begging her to move him into Gryffindor."

"Ah well, Al will do alright in there," Teddy said. "I will say, he better be good at making excuses."

"Why?" Harry frowned.

"Slughorn's head of Slytherin," Teddy said. "Can you imagine his excitement over having Harry Potter's son Sorted into his own house? Poor kid probably won't get a moment of peace."

"I forgot about that," Harry sighed. "Hopefully James managed to get some Snackboxes past Ginny that he can lend Albus."

"Hopefully," Teddy agreed, sipping his coffee. "So, are you going to be doing any of the training today?"  
"No, not today," Harry said. "Though I know that you'll be having an easy day today. You'll just be going over some procedural things. I'd say you'll be done by one."

"Good," Teddy said. "I've got some letters I need to write…"

"Are you writing to _Victoire_?" Lily grinned. "Your _girlfriend_?"

Teddy rolled his eyes. "I take it James told you all exactly what he saw on the train yesterday then?"

"So when are you guys going to get married?" Lily asked. "You two can both move in here! Take James' room. Daddy said they'd blow the house up if him and Al shared a room, but I think he's just exaggerating. And if you guys have a baby, it can take Albus' room."

"Lily, stop giving away your brother's bedrooms and go on upstairs and finish getting ready for school," Harry said as Teddy nearly choked on his bacon.

"So I can't go to Hogwarts but I have to keep going to muggle school?" Lily pouted. "That's not fair!"

"It's perfectly fair," Harry said. "Now go upstairs and get your books before you're late."

Grumbling protests, Lily left the table and headed up to her bedroom. Once she left, Harry turned to his godson.

"Now then," Harry said. "Are you going to tell me how long this has been going on?"

"We got together last term," Teddy mumbled. "A couple of days before I officially finished Hogwarts."

"Huh, so that's why we haven't seen much of you this summer," Harry commented. "Except of course at meal times. Ah well, can't say I'm surprised. The two of you have been close ever since you were kids. I will ask, though…why did you keep it hidden?"

"Well seeing as Lily's already got us married off and having children…" Teddy pointed out.

"Fair enough," Harry chuckled.

"I suppose we just wanted to have a few months to ourselves before everybody found out," Teddy shrugged. "Enjoy the peace and quiet."

"I see," Harry nodded. "What about Bill and Fleur, though? Do they know?"

"No…" Teddy said slowly. "We um, we were planning on telling them before Victoire went back to Hogwarts, but we, um, forgot."

"You're afraid of Bill, aren't you?" Harry smirked.

"He's a curse breaker!" Teddy defended. "And you know how protective he is of Vic and Dom. He'll lock me in some tomb in Egypt if he finds out I'm seeing his daughter."

"No, he won't," Harry assured him. "Bill likes you; he knows you're a decent wizard who wouldn't hurt his daughter. I'm sure he'll be perfectly reasonable about you and Victoire dating."

"Would you be 'perfectly reasonable' if it was Lily bringing home some boy that she was dating?" Teddy asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Er, that's not the point," Harry said quickly. "Look, Bill's not going to be upset. And if he is…Fleur will keep him from cursing your buttocks together."

….

"You do realize Roxy, Lily, and Hugo are all in the other room planning some way to get on the Hogwarts Express when the others go back at Christmas holiday," Ginny said, coming into the kitchen at the Burrow, where the entire family was finishing up a fantastic meal Molly had prepared.

"They wouldn't go through with something like that," Ron said dismissively.

"Don't be thick, course they would," George said, rolling his eyes. "Those kids can't wait to be rid of us once they start school."

"Just wait until they start having homework piled on them," Bill chuckled. "Then they'll be glad to be home."

"Look who just came by through the Floo!" Molly said happily, coming back into the kitchen with Teddy behind her. "Now, we've just finished dinner, dear, but you sit tight and I'll make you up a plate."

"Er, that's alright, Molly," Teddy said. "I've finally tried using my kitchen back at my flat…turned out better than I expected."

"Well, at least take some stew home for later on," Molly insisted. "I know they're keeping you busy with your Auror training; you must be hungry when you come home."

"Thanks, that'd be great," Teddy said. "But um…Bill? Fleur? Would it be alright if I were to have a word with you both?"

"Us?" Fleur said, surprised.

"Yes, um, maybe we could go out for a walk?" Teddy said, clearing his throat. "It's a lovely night out."

"Sure, I suppose," Bill said slowly, standing up.

"What was that about?" George asked as Bill and Fleur followed Teddy out of the kitchen.

Ginny glanced over at Harry. "Is he doing what I think he's doing?"

"I believe so," Harry nodded.

"Oh! Is this about Teddy snogging Victoire at the platform yesterday?" Ron asked.

" _What?_ " Angelina exclaimed as Ginny and Hermione both swatted Ron's shoulders.

"Teddy and Victoire?" Molly gasped. "Why that's _wonderful_! Those two make the most darling couple. Arthur, do you know what this means? We may be getting our first _great_ grandchild soon!"

"You sound like Lily," Harry chuckled.

"Poor Teddy, though," Charlie commented. "Bill's going to murder him."

"You hush, Bill will do no such thing," Molly said firmly.

"I'm with Charlie on this one," Ron said. "I bet you three galleons Teddy comes back here with his nose stuck to his elbow."

…

Meanwhile, out in the yard, Teddy walked along nervously with Bill and Fleur.

"So Teddy, what was it you wanted to talk to us about?" Bill asked.

"Yes, 've are very curious," Fleur nodded. "'Ez everything okay?"

"Yes, um, everything is fine," Teddy said, clearing his throat. "Um, I've just talked to Victoire and, well, we planned on telling you this over the summer, but er, we never got a chance. But we've decided it's best that we let you know now, and, er, seeing as she's at Hogwarts, she can't be here to tell you the news with me, so-"

"What is it?" Bill asked, cutting him off.

Teddy took a deep breath. "Victoire and I started seeing each other over the summer."

"Seeing each other?" Fleur repeated, letting out a small gasp. "Oh, Teddy, vat ez wonderful news! I always thought you two would make a beautiful couple!"

She pulled him into an embrace, kissing each of his cheeks.

"Thank you," Teddy said, though he was looking at Bill, who did not seem quite as thrilled as his wife.

"You have been dating my daughter?" Bill asked.

"Yes," Teddy nodded. "I have. We're sorry we didn't say anything over the summer, but we were just excited to be in a new relationship and it…slipped our minds."

"Slipped your mind?" Bill repeated.

"Oh Bill, don't you try to scare 'im," Fleur scoffed. "He ez a very nice boy; 've should be proud our daughter 'as found someone like 'im."

"I'm not trying to scare him," Bill said, his eyes locked with Teddy's. He held out his hand. "Thank you for telling us about the two of you, Teddy."

Teddy shook Bill's hand. "Oh…well sure, of course," Teddy said, slightly surprised at Bill's calm reaction. "Wow, to be completely honest, I was expecting you to try and curse me."

"Well, as a professional curse breaker, I could," Bill said simply. "But as long as you don't hurt by daughter…I won't."

"Bill…" Fleur tutted, shaking her head.

"Don't worry," Teddy said earnestly. "I wouldn't dream of hurting her."


	65. Chapter 65

"So when are you lot leaving for Scottland?" Harry asked as him, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny stood at Platform Nine-and-Three-Quarters, waiting for their children to arrive home for the Christmas holiday.

"Tomorrow morning," Hermione answered. "I've just got to run into the Ministry one more time before we leave to make sure Ogden is set to fill in for me."

"Well have a good time," Ginny said. "I was just there for work a few weeks ago; it's beautiful."

"I thought I saw the four of you," a voice from behind the group said, and Harry turned to see Luna, as well as her husband Rolf, walking over to them.

"Thought you two were both still off in Portugal," Ron said. "Looking for those puff head things."

"Putter-Puff mice," Luna corrected him. "And we just got back."

"Did you find any mice?" Harry asked.

"No, unfortunately we didn't plan for the large niffler population that was there," Rolf sighed. "Natural enemy of the Putter-Puff mice. Fascinating to find them in Portugal, though…that's never been seen before. I'm about to put a team together to go back and explore those findings!"

"Well, since you're here I'm assuming you don't need us to take the twins with us anymore," Ginny said.

"Oh no, but thank you anyway," Luna smiled.

"Just as well, I'm sure the twins will be over with Lily quite a bit over the break," Ginny chuckled. "Speaking of which, I got a bunch of extra tickets to the Cannons-Owls game. If you'd like, we can bring the twins with us; I'm sure they'd have fun."

"Oh yes, they'd love that," Luna nodded. "Those matches always attract Wrackspurts, and Lorcan and Lysander love watching those."

"You have extra tickets to a Cannons game?" Ron frowned. "Why haven't I been invited?"

"You'll be in Scotland," Harry replied.

"Damn," Ron sighed.

Just then the Hogwarts Express gratefully pulled up at the platform, coming to a slow stop.

"Oh, here they are," Hermione said as the door opened up and the students began pouring out. "Look, there's Rose."

"And Scorpius," Ron sighed. "Hey, why's it just the two of them? Where's Albus? Hermione, do you think they were sitting alone together on the train?"

"So what if they were?" Hermione shrugged.

"So what-Hermione!" Ron sputtered.

"Hi mum, hi dad," Rose said, reaching her parents.

"Hello, sweetheart," Hermione smiled, hugging her daughter.

"Hi Rosie," Ron said, kissing the top of her head. "How was your ride back? Full compartment?"

"What?" Rose frowned.

"Hello, Scorpius," Hermione said, casting her husband a warning glance.

"Hello," Scorpius replied politely.

"Have a good term?" Harry asked.

"Busy," Scorpius replied. "We've started our O.W.L preparations."

"Oh, how exciting," Hermione said.

"Where's Albus?" Ron blurted out. "He was with you two on the train, no?"

"He was, but now he's probably trying to avoid being cursed by Lily," Scorpius replied.

"What?" Ginny frowned.

"It's a long story," Rose sighed, shaking her head.

"I see my parents," Scorpius said, looking further down along the platform. "I'll see you later then, Rose. Tell Al I said goodbye."

"Why's Lily trying to curse Albus?" Luna asked as Scorpius left.

"No clue, those two usually get along," Harry said. "It's normally Albus and James you have to worry about."

"There's Hugo and the twins," Ron commented as the three boys started over towards their parents.

"Mum! Dad!" Lorcan grinned, surprised to see his parents. "I thought you were still in Portugal!"

"Got back a bit early," Rolf explained as him and Luna hugged their sons. "Seems Portugal has a hidden Niffler population."

"Whoa! But they've never been spotted outside of England!" Lorcan gasped.

"Lysander, are you alright?" Luna asked. "Wrackspurt in your head?"

"Huh? No," Lysander said quickly. "Just…tired."

"So what's this we hear about Lily trying to curse Albus?" Ron asked Hugo as Hermione kissed his cheek.

"She's trying to take down James too," Hugo smirked.

"Would anyone like to tell us _why_?" Ginny asked.

"Well we can ask them for ourselves now," Harry said, nodding over to the train, where Lily had just stepped off, looking absolutely furious. James and Albus were right behind her, looking equally upset.

"Blimey, Lily looks just as scary as Ginny when she's mad," Ron said.

"Well this is going to be an enjoyable car ride home," Harry sighed. "Maybe we should've apparated here instead, Gin."

"Your sons," Lily fumed as she reached her parents. "Are the biggest prats I've ever had misfortune to meet."

"Hello to you too, dear," Ginny said, rolling her eyes.

"What's going on?" Harry asked James and Albus.

"What's going on is your daughter is completely out of control!" James exclaimed.

"You watch it!" Lily snapped, pulling out her wand.

"Can't use magic, you're off the train," James smirked.

"I don't need magic," Lily scoffed, lunging towards her brother, though luckily Harry caught her just in time to hold her back.

"Why don't you use some of your bloody Prefect privileges and give her a detention?" James asked, turning to Albus.

"Alright, nobody's giving anybody a detention," Ginny said firmly. "Lily Luna Potter, you put your wand away right now. I don't want to hear another word from any of you until we get home and we can sort out whatever it is that's going on between the three of you civilly."

"Er, right," Harry nodded, clearing his throat. "Like your mum said. Come on, let's go to the car."

The three Potter children, all still glaring at each other, slowly turned and followed their mother.

"You can join us in Scotland if you'd like to get away from all of that," Ron grinned at Harry.

"I might take you up on that," Harry sighed.

….

"Alright, Lily, James, Albus, we're going to get to the bottom of this," Ginny said a short while later, as they entered their home. "I don't enjoy seeing my children trying to curse each other after missing them for the past three months."

"Yes, what could have possibly happened to get you three so upset?" Harry said.

"Dad, Albus and I are not at fault here," James said.

"Excuse me?" Lily scoffed. "You both certainly are!"

"Then go on, tell dad _why_ you're mad at us," Albus told her.

Lily narrowed her eyes at her brother.

"If somebody does not give me a bloody explanation for all of this in the next five seconds-" Ginny began.

"She was snogging some boy in the train corridor!" James blurted out.

Harry's eyes widened. "She was _what_?"

"And it was some complete git, too," Albus nodded. "Justin Goldstein…"

"What's wrong with Justin Goldstein? His father was in my year back at Hogwarts," Ginny said, looking rather amused.

"He's not a git, he's a very nice boy," Lily said hotly, her face almost the same color as her hair at this point. "He told me that he fancies me last week and we decided to start seeing each other. But _these_ two decided to try and spoil all of that by throwing a fit when they saw us together."

"You can't start seeing some boy!" James said. "Dad, tell her she's mental if she thinks _that's_ about to happen."

"She's far too young," Albus agreed.

"I am not!" Lily retorted. "I'm thirteen!"

"Er, Lily, thirteen is a bit young," Harry said, clearing his throat awkwardly, still looking slightly stunned.

"Ha! Dad said you can't see him," James said triumphantly, high-fiving Albus.

"Mum!" Lily exclaimed, turning to her mother for support.

"Alright, everybody up to their rooms," Ginny said. "I think you all need to unwind a bit before we head over to the Burrow for dinner."

Reluctantly, the three children headed up to their bedroom, leaving Harry and Ginny alone in the living room.

"Well, I must say I'm relieved," Ginny said once they were gone. "I thought they were fighting over something serious."

"You're _relieved_?" Harry sputtered. "Ginny, our daughter is going around snogging boys! She's _thirteen_."

"Oh Harry, she's a teenager," Ginny shrugged. "She's bound to want to start seeing boys. Besides, James saw the muggle girl from the village for an entire summer when he was thirteen."

"That's different," Harry said at once.

Ginny raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And _how_ is it different? Because James is a boy?"

"No," Harry said lamely. "Because he's…more mature."

"James is more mature," Ginny repeated. "You do realize we got about ten letters sent to us this term about him trying to stuff fireworks into the toilets at school."

Harry didn't reply.

"I think we should let her see this boy if that's what she wants," Ginny said. "She's got a good head on her shoulders; she knows what she's doing."

" _You_ didn't date when you were her age," Harry frowned.

"Only because I was busy being hung up over _you_ still," Ginny said, rolling her eyes. "But she's not much younger than I was when I started dating Michael."

"That-That's hardly the point," Harry said dismissively.

"But you just said that-"

"I think she needs to wait a bit before she starts dating, alright?" Harry said. "She doesn't understand what she's getting into."

"Harry, it's just a harmless fling," Ginny assured him.

"Have you forgotten the part where they were snogging in the corridor?" Harry scoffed.

"Oh I'm sure James and Albus exaggerated that," Ginny said. "It was probably a harmless peck."

"Yes, well…" Harry said lamely.

"Look," Ginny said, putting her hands on his shoulder. "Do you really think Lily will even listen to us if we tell her she can't see this Justin boy? Of course not! She inherited your disregard for rules, after all."

"Right, she got that from only me," Harry said, giving his wife a small smile.

"Mostly you," Ginny smirked. "But if we tell her she can't see Justin, she's only going to want to see him more. It'll drive her further into his arms and she'll never tell us anything about these sort of things again. At least if she's open with us we can have an idea of what's going on."

Harry groaned, running his fingers through his hair.

"You know I make a good point, don't you?" Ginny said, triumphantly.

"Mum? Dad?"

Harry and Ginny turned around to see Lily standing behind them.

"I think I deserve to continue seeing Justin," Lily said seriously. "And I have prepared exactly thirty-eight reasons why. Would you like to hear them? Number one-"

"When on earth did you have time to come up with thirty-eight reasons why you should date?" Harry frowned.

"Just now," Lily said. "I can come up with more, if you'd like."

"No," Harry said at once. "That's perfectly okay. Thirty-eight is more than enough. Listen, Lily…your mum and I were talking and we've decided that-that you can keep seeing Justin."

"Wait, really?" Lily said, surprised.

"Yes," Harry said heavily.

"Thank you!" Lily said, throwing her arms around her parents.

"Of course, sweetheart, we know you're a smart girl who knows what she's doing," Ginny said. "However…I would love to hear more about _Justin_. Why don't you go get your coat, and we'll go down to Diagon Alley to talk over some ice cream?"

"Alright!" Lily agreed.

"And your father will go upstairs and tell your brothers to stop giving you a hard time about having a boyfriend," Ginny said. "Right Harry?"

"Right," Harry nodded.

"Thanks, daddy," Lily smiled.

Once Ginny and Lily had taken the Floo to Diagon Alley, Harry headed upstairs, where both the boys were in Albus' room.

"So, did you shut down that whole dating nonsense?" James asked immediately.

"No," Harry said. "Your mum and I decided that Lily can keep seeing him."

"Dad!" Albus exclaimed. "You should see that Justin git! Complete moron; I saw him try to use his wand backwards once."

"Yes, well, your sister obviously likes him, so you'll have to respect that," Harry said. "Anyway, you mum would like me to tell you to leave the pair of them alone, so if she asks, that's what I said."

"Wait…" James said slowly. "You're telling us to _not_ do that then?"

"Don't make her miserable or anything," Harry said. "But if you were to keep an eye on them and step in if anything too serious were to happen…"

"Got it," James grinned. "I found a really cool curse that's supposed to make your toenails grow to be the size of your arms. I'll finally be able to practice that one!"

"Er, that might be a bit extreme," Harry said quickly.

"But what if he hurts her?" Albus asked.

"Well then by all means, make his toenails the size of bus," Harry said firmly.


	66. Chapter 66

"Well, Rose may have inherited Hermione's brains, but she definitely got her flying skills from Ron," Harry commented as he walked into his living room, where Ginny was playing with a few of Lily's dolls.

"When can I learn to fly, daddy?" Lily asked, jumping up into her father's arms.

"Second you turn five," Harry promised. "Two more years."

"I hate being little," Lily pouted. "I want to fly _now_."

"Do you?" Harry chuckled. "Tell you what then? I'll take you out for a ride on _my_ broomstick if you like."

"Yes!" Lily said at once.

"Go put your sweater and scarf on first," Ginny said. "It's cold out there."

"Okay," Lily said, racing up to her bedroom.

"So, how did Al do flying today?" Ginny asked her husband.

"Same as when you tried teaching him last night," Harry shrugged. "Got about six inches off the ground, got nervous, and then jumped down."

"Not exactly a flyer like James was, huh?" Ginny smiled. "It's a challenge keeping him from zooming fifty feet into the air."

"No, I don't think he cares for being on a broom too much," Harry agreed. "Ah well, at least he tried."

"Well where are him and James now?" Ginny asked.

"Still over at Ron and Hermione's," Harry said. "Since we have to be at the Burrow for dinner in a bit anyway, they offered to just take the boys over with them."

"I'm ready to fly, daddy!" Lily said, rushing back down the stairs. "Can we go now?"

"You got it," Harry said, picking her up and putting her onto his shoulders. "Let's fly!"

….

"It's your week off, you've just gotten back from a long Auror mission," Ginny said to her husband as they cleaned off the kitchen table after breakfast the next morning. "You can drop the kids off at my parents' place if you'd like to take some time to rest instead of taking them to the playground."

"No, trust me, this is exactly what I want to do with my time off," Harry assured her, giving her a quick kiss. "Wish Teddy was home from Hogwarts so I could spend time with him as well, but I'll just have to wait until he's home for Christmas."

Ginny smiled, kissing him back. "Well…I'll be home from work around four today. Perhaps we can send the kids to my parents then so you can spend a bit of time with me as well."

"Absolutely," Harry grinned.

"We're ready to go, dad," James said as the three Potter children walked into the kitchen.

"How come mummy isn't coming?" Lily asked.

"Because mummy has to go to work," Ginny said. "But you three have fun with daddy; try not to ware him out too much, though."

"Can we bring the Snitch to try and catch?" James asked as Harry led his children out the front door.

"We're going to the muggle playground," Harry told his son as they began walking out of Godric's Hallow, towards a small playground across the bend. "So we can't bring any Quidditch things."

"Good," Albus said. "I'm tired of Quidditch."

"How can you be tired of Quidditch?" James gaped. "It's the best thing in the world."

"I'm sure you'll find plenty of other things to do at the playground," Harry told James. "You can go on the jungle gym."

"I want to play in the sandbox," Lily said. "And the swings! Can you push me on them, daddy?"

"Sure," Harry smiled.

As they reached the park, James set off running towards the jungle gym at once.

"Do you want to swing with your sister, Albus?" Harry asked his youngest son.

"No," Albus said, looking around the park. He glanced over at a group of children about his age, kicking a football around in the grass. "Can I go play with those kids?"

"Alright," Harry shrugged. "Have fun."

"Let's go!" Lily said eagerly, pulling Harry towards the swings.

Harry sat Lily down on one of the empty swings and began pushing her back and forth, loving the sound of her laughter as she went higher and higher. After a mission as difficult as the one he had just gotten back from, this was exactly what he needed.

"I'm glad you're back home now, daddy," Lily said, her red hair flying out behind her. "I missed you."

"Trust me, I missed all of you like mad, love," Harry told her. He glanced over at the jungle gym, where James was currently enjoying himself as he scrambled across the set of monkey bars. He looked over at the field at Albus, and was surprised to see just how engaged he was in the game of football.

Unlike his brother, Albus never appeared to be much of an athlete. But he seemed quite skilled as he dribbled the football along with the other children.

 _Guess he prefers sports where he can stay on the ground_ , Harry thought to himself.

After a couple of hours, Harry gathered the three children back up to head home for lunch.

"I caught three lizards," James told Harry as they walked back towards Godric's Hallow. "I was gonna keep them as pets, but they all ran away."

"Just as well, I doubt your mum would be too pleased with you keeping those in the house," Harry grinned. He turned to Albus. "I was watching you play football; you seemed to be having a lot of fun."

"I was," Albus nodded. "I _love_ football."

"Why?" James frowned. "Football is boring; there's only one ball!"

"It's not boring!" Albus defended.

"Compared to Quidditch it is," James nodded.

"James, just because you don't like something that your brother does, doesn't mean it's boring," Harry said firmly.

"Dad," Albus said. "All of those kids at the park get to play football in a junior league. They say it's really fun; they have practices and matches and everything!"

"Do they?" Harry said.

"Do you think I could join?" Albus asked.

"Hmm," Harry said thoughtfully. "Tell you what, Al; I'll run the idea by your mum and see what she thinks."

"There should be junior leagues for Quidditch," James sighed. "I don't want to have to wait five more years to join Gryffindor's team."

"You won't be able to make it on the team your first year," Harry reminded him. "It's against school rules."

"You did," James grinned. "So Professor McGonagall will let me too."

Harry chuckled. "I wouldn't get your hopes up about that."

….

Later that evening, Harry walked into his bedroom, finding Lily asleep under the covers of his and Ginny's bed.

"She fell asleep waiting for you to get back home," Ginny explained. "You reckon we should let her just stay in here for the night?"

"Might as well," Harry nodded.

"Good thing we had the afternoon to ourselves then," Ginny smirked as Harry settled down on his side of the bed.

"Smart thinking on your part," Harry agreed.

"So did you and Hermione manage to get my dad's fire alarm situation under control?" Ginny asked.

"Eventually," Harry said. "Seems he accidently charmed the power switch off, so the alarm had no way of being turned off until Hermione managed to attach it again."

"Seems like such an odd invention," Ginny said. "What on earth would a muggle want something so loud for?"

"To let them know if there's a fire," Harry told her. "All muggle homes have them. That flat in the muggle building Ron and I shared for a bit had them."

"They were never that loud," Ginny said.

"Because there was never a fire when you were around," Harry told her. "They went off once when Ron and I tried to cook ourselves breakfast…never saw Ron so startled."

"Well how can those things possibly sense if there's a fire?" Ginny frowned.

"Er, they have sensor things," Harry said. "Don't really know more than that. Point is, your father's currently fascinated by them at the moment, so I suspect your mum will be placing silencing charms all around the Burrow."

"I bet," Ginny chuckled. "Well, are you heading to bed now? Or are you going downstairs to watch the telly?"

"Think I'll just go to bed," Harry yawned. "Oh, before I do, though, there's something I want to bring up to you. Have a look at this."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a flyer.

"What is this?" Ginny asked as Harry handed it over to her.

"After we managed the fire alarms your dad set off, I convinced Hermione to come with me to the community center over in the muggle town," Harry told her. "They have junior football leagues for kids Al's age."

"Football?" Ginny repeated. "That muggle sport with the ball that the players kick?"

"Yes," Harry nodded, amused at her lack of knowledge about the muggle world. "Anyway, Albus seems really interested in joining."

"He does?" Ginny said. "Hmm, he does like to play whenever he goes to the park."  
"He's not bad, either," Harry said. "I was watching him today, and he scored a goal. So what do you reckon? Should we sign him up?"

"Course we should, if he that's what he wants," Ginny said at once. "I think it will be good for him to get out and do something he loves. And he's made it perfectly clear that he doesn't fancy Quidditch; we may as well accept that."

"You're right," Harry smiled. "Well, we can tell him the news at breakfast tomorrow. He'll be thrilled."

"You'll have to give me lessons on how that game is played," Ginny said. "So I can follow along when I go to see his matches."

"I'd love to," Harry said. "You definitely need them."


	67. Chapter 67

"Lily likes Fizzing Whizzbees the best," five-year old James told Harry. "We have to get her lots of those."

"And Chocolate Frogs," Albus nodded. "Maybe she'll get another one with your picture on!"

"Perhaps," Harry smiled. "Alright, we can't be too long. We need to get this potion home to Lily. So let's go pick her up some sweets to make her feel better and then we'll be off."

"Did I have Chicken Pox when I was little like Lily?" James asked.

"No, neither of you did," Harry said. "Chicken Pox is a muggle illness; it's rarely seen in witches and wizards, and only then if they've got muggle family members."

"Poor Lily," Albus frowned. "Is she going to be alright?"

"Course she is," Harry assured him. "Chicken Pox aren't too bad; she's just going to be itchy for awhile. Your mum and I are hoping this potion is going to help with that."

"How come it's called _Chicken Pox_?" James asked. "Lily's not going to grow feathers, is she?"

"No," Harry chuckled. "Don't know why it's called that, to be honest. Maybe your Aunt Hermione or Aunt Audrey would-"

"Harry Potter!"

Harry and the boys turned to see a witch with winged glasses and a grin like a crocodile coming towards them, along with a blurry photographer.

"You're kidding me," Harry muttered as the witch reached the three.

"Is she your friend?" James asked.

"No," Harry sighed. "You two just don't say a word, even if she talks to you."

"Out with the children, are you?" Rita Skeeter asked. "Lovely day for a family outing. But I see this isn't your _whole_ family…Trouble in paradise? Wife leave and take your youngest daughter with her, leaving you to raise two troubled boys on your own?"

James and Albus exchanged confused glances.

"We both know you'll run such a story no matter how many I tell you that's complete rubbish," Harry said simply. "I'd be more concerned if more than a dozen people read the rag you write for now."

Rita's grin faltered. "The _Witches Gab_ has several hundred readers, Mr. Potter. Readers who will be very interested in your failing marriage."

She snapped her fingers and a quill and pad of paper flew out of her purse. The quill began scribbling on the pad in midair.

"Whoa!" James couldn't help but gasp.

"Ah, and who is this here?" Rita beamed, kneeling down so she was eye level with Albus and James. "Which son is this? The one named after father? Or the one named after the disgraced Albus Dumbledore. My…not hard to see who the favorite child is, is it?"

"You're not to say a word to them," Harry said firmly, stepping swiftly in front of his sons.

"My readers would simply love to get a perspective piece from one of them," Rita said, unfazed. "To truly understand what it's like being the _Chosen One's_ son."

"Chosen One?" Albus whispered to James.

Harry took his sons' hands and led them away from Rita without another word.

"Dad? Who was that?" James asked. "She seemed strange."

"She's a reporter for some magazine," Harry told him.

"Like Aunt Luna?" Albus asked.

"Er, sort of," Harry said slowly. "But your Aunt Luna writes stories that are…well, sometimes _unproven_. But that woman writes lies. She likes to try and mess with people's personal lives. It's disgusting; she's been doing it for years."

"Well how come she talked to you?" Albus asked. "She knew your name and everything. And she knew our names!"

"She's written about me before," Harry said.

"How come?" James asked. "Because you're an Auror at the Ministry of Magic?"

"That's partly it," Harry said carefully.

"How come she called you the Chosen One?" Albus asked.

"I've heard people call you that before, dad," James said. "When we go to Diagon Ally!"

Harry frowned. "You've heard that?"

James nodded. "Is that your nickname? Like when mummy calls me Jamie?"

"Um, it's a bit different," Harry said, clearing his throat just as they reached Honeydukes. "Well, here we are. Now, since you've both been so well behaved, how about you go and pick whatever you like out as a treat?"

"Alright!" both boys cheered, rushing into the shop, all other thoughts erased from their mind.

….

A short while later, Harry and the boys walked back into the Potter's home, where an exhausted Ginny was sitting with Lily on her lap. The toddler was cover in red spots and looked miserable.

"How's she feeling?" Harry asked.

"Same as she was this morning, I'm afraid," Ginny sighed. "Poor thing…how long do Chicken Pox normally last?"

"I don't know, I never had them," Harry said. "Hermione mentioned that she did when she was around Lily's age. We can ask her."

"We got Lily candy," Albus said. "To make her feel better."

At once Lily sat up. "Can-ee?"

James handed her a Fizzing Whizbee and Albus gave her a bag of Jelly Slugs.

"How nice of your brothers, Lily," Ginny smiled.

"Thank you," Lily said weakly.

"Here, you look beat," Harry said, gently taking Lily from his wife's arms. "Why don't you go upstairs and rest for a bit?"

"You sure?" Ginny yawned.

"Go," Harry insisted. "I'll start dinner as well."

"Oh please don't; you'll burn the house down," Ginny said playfully.

"Sorry, I didn't mean I'd cook," Harry clarified. "I'd mean I'd warm up the roast chicken your mum sent over last night."

"Brilliant," Ginny said. She rubbed Lily's back soothingly. "I think she's about to fall asleep herself; I doubt even that candy will keep her awake for much longer."

Harry looked down at his daughter, and sure enough, her eyes were beginning to slowly close.

"Well I'll make sure James and Al stay quiet then," Harry said, giving her a quick kiss.

Ginny headed upstairs, and Harry let Lily rest her head against his chest as she drifted off, her hands still clutching the candy her brothers had given her.

"Okay you two, I'm going to put Lily up in her room," Harry said.

"Alright," James and Albus replied, not looking up from their small pile of Chocolate Frogs.

Harry headed up to Lily's room and gently placed her in her cot.

"Hope you feel better soon, sweetheart," Harry whispered, covering her up with her blanket. "Hate seeing you sick."

He kissed the top of her head and went back downstairs, where his sons were now looking through the new Chocolate Frog cards they had gotten.

"Dad, who is this one?" Albus asked, showing his father one of his cards.  
"Helga Hufflepuff," Harry read. "She was one of the founders of Hogwarts."

"Cool!" Albus said. "Can I send this one to Teddy then? Since he's a Hufflepuff."

"Sure," Harry nodded.

"I got Aunt Hermione also!" Albus grinned, showing his father his second card. "Now I have three of her."

"I got you, dad!" James cheered, holding up a card with Harry's own image on it.

"Very nice," Harry smiled. He looked down at the card. "Ron's right, though…these cards picked very unflattering pictures to use."

"Look at this one," Albus said as James continued to look at Harry's card. "Who's he?"

"That's the bass player from the _Weird Sisters_ I believe," Harry said. "I think I have the other two members somewhere…I can give them to you so you have the full set if you-"

"Boy Who Lived!" James suddenly exclaimed.

"What?" Harry frowned, nearly losing his balance.

"That's what your card says!" James said. "Boy Who Lived! I can read _those_ words. Can't read many of the others, though…I can read 'Dark' and 'Scar'…that's it. Why's it say you're the Boy Who Lived, dad?"

"Is that a kind of Auror?" Albus asked.

Harry sighed. "No…that's what I've been called since I was about one-year old."

"How come?" James asked curiously.

"Yeah, how come?" Albus asked.

"Alright," Harry said heavily, recalling their earlier trip to Hogsmeade. He knew he couldn't keep his past a secret much longer, and he'd rather his children hear about everything from him. "You two remember how I told you I would tell you all about I got my scar one day? Well…I suppose now can be that day."

"Really?" James said excitedly. "Finally!"

The two boys scrambled to the couch and looked up at their father eagerly.

"Well," Harry said, taking a deep breath. "I've told you both that my parents both died when I was very young, right?"

"Yes," Albus nodded.

"Well, the reason they died is because, well, a very Dark wizard called Lord Voldemort killed them," Harry explained. "You see, years ago, when Voldemort was in power, he did things that were… _unthinkable_. Him and his supporters believed that anybody without magical blood should be wiped out, and Pure Bloods should be left to hold the power."

"But-But you and mummy say blood doesn't matter," James frowned.

"It doesn't," Harry said. "Look at your Aunt Hermione. By Voldemort's reasoning, she shouldn't be considered a witch at all because her parents are muggles. But you both know that she's brilliant with magic. My mother, your grandmother, had muggle parents too. She was still one the best witches out there. And my father was a very strong wizard. But still, Voldemort had abilities that no decent wizard could dream of…He came to my parents home one night, here, in Godric's Hallow. He killed my father first, because he was trying to hold him off so my mum could have a chance to take me and hide. But Voldemort still reached us…but he gave my mother a chance to live. He told her to move aside so that he could get to me, but she refused. She begged Voldemort to kill her instead…and in the end he did. But when Voldemort turned his wand to me and fired his killing curse…the spell backfired. He was left powerless, and all that I had was this scar on my forehead."

"You beat that wizard when you were just a baby?" James gasped. "Whoa! That's so cool, dad!"

"Yeah, you must be the most powerful wizard in the world!" Albus nodded.

"I'm not," Harry said firmly. "The reason I lived when Voldemort tried to kill me is because my mother died to protect me. Her love created a protection that he stood no chance against; he never understood just how strong love really was."

"But dad," James asked. "How come he wanted to kill you if you were just a baby?"

Harry cleared his throat. "There _was_ a reason," he said. "But you'll have to wait to hear about that another day."  
"How come?" Albus frowned.

"You're both too young to understand right now," Harry told them. "I didn't find out why Voldemort tried to kill me until I was fifteen years old. I promise, I will tell you; but I want to make sure you're able to comprehend it."

James and Albus both looked disappointed, but didn't press the matter further.

"So that's how come everyone always stares at you when we go out?" Albus asked.

"Yes," Harry nodded. He put his arms around his sons. "There's more to the story, but like I said, I want to wait until you are older before I tell you everything."

The boys both nodded.

"But," Harry continued. "In the meantime…there's a lot of stuff out there that people have written about me. You saw earlier…that witch at Hogsmeade will make up anything about my life if she thinks it will help sell her magazine. Ninety-nine percent of what you'll hear will be false, but if you ever have any questions about anything you hear, I want you to come to me or your mum. We'd rather you hear about those sorts of things from us."

"Alright," the two agreed.

"Why don't you go off any play in the yard for a bit?" Harry suggested. "I know as hard as you try, the pair of you won't stay quiet for long, and I'd like for your mum and sister to sleep for at least a few hours."

"Can we swing in the hammock?" James asked.

"Sure," Harry smiled. "Go ahead."

As he watched his sons rush off excitedly to the garden, Harry couldn't help but let out a long sigh. He knew that it wouldn't be much longer until he had to tell his children every detail of his past. They _needed_ to know…but for right now…for right now Harry wanted to keep them innocent and oblivious to the horrors of the world for as long as possible.


	68. Chapter 68

"James, how can you manage to get yourself so messy from one meal?" Ginny sighed, pulling James' sleeper off him, which was covered in porridge and milk. "Now I'll have to give you a bath…though I wonder if I should just wait until after you've had your lunch in a few hours. Merlin knows you'll make an even bigger mess then."

James smiled innocently up at his mother, and Ginny couldn't help but chuckle. "You got your charm from daddy, didn't you?"

"Da?" James babbled, looking around excitedly.

"Oh, no sweetheart, mummy's sorry," Ginny said quickly. "I didn't mean to make you think daddy was back. He's still away with work…I know you miss him terribly."

Just then she felt a gentle kick from within her, and she looked down at her abdomen, where her and Harry's second child was currently growing.

"You miss your daddy too, huh Albus?" Ginny said, resting her hands on the swell. "Hopefully he'll be back any day now."

Just then there was a knock at the door, and Ginny hurried and opened it up, revealing Hermione, carrying Rose in her arms.

"Hi," Ginny said, letting her in.

"Hello," Hermione replied.

"You look well-rested," Ginny commented. "Has Rose finally started sleeping through the night?"

"Yes, last night was her first night without waking up," Hermione replied proudly. "Mind you, Ron and I were so worried that something was wrong that we still woke up and checked in on her several times."  
"Harry and I did that when James first started sleeping though the night," Ginny said. "You'll be doing it all again soon," Hermione smiled.

"Yes," Ginny nodded. "I'm trying to savor every last second of sleep I can get at the moment."

"Well that can't be too much with this little one here," Hermione laughed, stepping over to James and kissing his forehead.

"No, he likes to wake up at the crack of dawn," Ginny said. "Anyway, what are you doing not at work this morning?"

"I had to take the morning off," Hermione said. "Your parents are in Romania, and my parents both have the flu, so we don't have anybody to watch Rosie. George is out with Angelina and Fred at Angelina's parents' house in Bristol, so Ron has to run the shop by himself."

"But I'm sure you've got a lot on your plate at work," Ginny said. "If you like, I can look after Rose while you go to work."

"And leave you to take care of her _and_ James? While you're eight months pregnant?" Hermione frowned. "I couldn't do that! Besides, truth be told, I could use a day off from the Ministry. I actually came by here to see if you'd like _me_ to look after James for you for a bit so you could have a rest. I know it can't have been easy being here by yourself while Harry's been away the past week."

"No," Ginny agreed. "It hasn't…especially these last few days. I don't know what Albus is doing in there, but he's really pushing my body to its limit. I don't remember feeling like this with James…"

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked, concerned.

"My backs been killing me," Ginny said. "It hurt with James, but not like this…and I've been having these stomach pains; I reckon its from the curry I had delivered here last night."

"Maybe you should go see a Healer," Hermione suggested.

"Oh no, it's nothing that serious," Ginny said quickly. "Just those normal feelings of being uncomfortable that come with being pregnant. Don't you remember them from Rose? I'm fine."

"Are you positive?" Hermione asked.

"Yes," Ginny nodded. "I _will_ take you up on that offer to keep an eye of James while I go nap, though, if you don't mind. I was up the whole night tossing and turning."

"Course," Hermione said. "Have a good rest."

…

A few hours later, Ginny slowly sat up in her and Harry's bed, just having awoken from her nap. She thought the short rest would've done her more good, but as she moved to stand up from the bed, she realized she felt much worse than when she had come up.

"Cannot wait until next month," Ginny sighed, wincing as she felt a cramp ripple through her abdomen.

She headed downstairs, trying to ignore the pain she felt at each step she descended, and found Ron and Hermione down in her sitting room with Rose and James.

"Thought you were running the shop all by yourself today?" she said to her brother.

"I was," Ron replied. "And I just finished closing by myself."

"Closing?" Ginny frowned. "Why would you close so early?"

Just then she caught sight of the clock on the wall and let out a gasp. "It's six in the evening! I slept the whole day?"

"I tried to wake you around lunch time, but you were really out of it," Hermione said. "So I thought it best to just let you keep resting. You must have been really exhausted."

"Mu-ee!" James beamed, toddling over to his mother and holding up his arms.

"Well were you a good boy for Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron?" Ginny asked her son, letting him settle onto her lap.

"Of course he was," Hermione said. "He was a perfect angel."

Ginny raised an eyebrow. "Angel?"

"Er, well he did dump all of his lunch on himself and somehow managed to sneak into Harry's office," Hermione admitted.

"That sounds more like him," Ginny said, letting out a laugh. As she did, though, she felt a sharp pain in the side of her stomach. She reflexively let out a soft cry.

"What's wrong?" Ron asked.

"Nothing," Ginny said, moving James off her lap for a moment. "I think the baby is just being extra rowdy in there today."

"Ginny, I really think you should go see a Healer," Hermione said. "You said you've been like this for the past few days?"

"Yes," Ginny said slowly. "Perhaps you're right…I'll see if I can get an appointment in first thing tomorrow morning."

"I'll stay with James, if you like," Ron offered. "George gave me the day off for handling everything today."

"Okay," Ginny agreed, sitting back in her seat and putting her feet up onto the coffee table.

"This may make you feel better in the meantime, though," Hermione said. "While you were sleeping, I got an owl from the Ministry. It sounds like the Auror mission is just about wrapping up; Harry should be home by the end of tomorrow at the latest!"

"Oh thank goodness," Ginny said, relieved. "He's already put in that he won't be able to go on missions for the next few months."

"I know, I saw the paperwork," Hermione nodded. She looked at her watch. "Well, since you slept through lunch, I bet you're starving now. Ron was just about to go over to the Leaky Cauldron and get some food to bring back. Would you like anything?"

"I'm really not hungry, actually, but I suppose I _should_ eat something," Ginny said, getting to her feet. "I'll just have a sandwich. But speaking of dinner, let me go get James' food ready. Do you need anything for Rose? I can-"

Her words fell short as she let out a loud cry, feeling an intense pain course through her entire body. She had to grab onto the armchair to keep from falling to the floor.

"Ginny!" Hermione gasped as her and Ron both rushed over to her. "What is it?"

"I-I don't know," Ginny said, feeling frightened. Her eyes suddenly widened. "Oh no…my-my water just broke."

"But you're not supposed to have the baby until next month," Ron said, panicked.

" I know that!" Ginny snapped, the pain getting worse.

"We need to get you to the hospital," Hermione said at once. "Oh…but you can't disapparate in this state...We'll have to use the main entrance; luckily it's not too far from here. I brought the car by this morning, so I'll drive. Ron, you stay here with the kids; I'll keep you posted if anything happens."

"Right," Ron said, picking up James, who was looking over at his mother with a worried expression, as if he could sense that something wasn't right with her.

"It's going to be okay," Hermione said soothingly to Ginny. "Don't worry, Ginny. You'll be alright."

…

About two hours later, Harry apperated into his living room, feeling worn and tired from his mission. All he wanted to do was see Ginny and James and then sleep for the next several hours.

"Ginny?" Harry called out. "Ginny? It's me!"

He spotted a cot set up over by the sofa. He stepped over, expecting to see James, but was surprised to see Rose, sitting up and playing with one of her toys.

"Rosie? What are you doing here?" Harry smiled, picking up his niece. "I'm assuming your parents are around here somewhere then?"

"Harry?" Ron said, hurrying downstairs with a sleeping James in his arms. "Oh thank Merlin; we didn't think you'd be home until tomorrow."

"Kingsley pushed back our debriefing until the morning so we could all come home and get rest," Harry explained. "Where's Ginny?"

Ron's expression grew grave. "Harry…you need to get over to St. Mungo's right away."

"What?" Harry explained. "Why? Is she okay? What happened?"

"I-I don't know exactly," Ron said. "But something-something went wrong and-and her water broke."

"No…" Harry said softly. "But-But the baby's not due-"

"I know, but there was nothing that they could do to stop it," Ron said. "Hermione sent a Patronus just a few moments before you arrived; they have to deliver the baby right now."

"Bloody hell!" Harry said, his eyes widening in shock.

"Go," Ron said. "I'll stay here with James. Just go be with her."

"Okay," Harry said weakly.

Without wasting another second, Harry disapperated and quickly reappeared in the lobby of St. Mungo's hospital.

"I need to know which room Ginny Potter is in," Harry said breathlessly to the witch behind the desk. "She was brought here a bit ago…she's gone into early labor."

The witch quickly flipped through a pile of parchment. "Potter…room 328; first right off of the-"

But Harry had already hurried off towards the steps, not wanting to have to wait for the lift. As soon as he reached the maternity section of the third floor, he quickly scanned for room 328, spotting it at the end of the corridor. Just as he got to the door, he heard his wife give a loud yell, and he braced himself.

"Ginny," Harry said, letting himself into the room. "Ginny, I'm here."

Ginny was sitting in bed, covered in sweat and breathing heavily. She was surrounded by a group of three healers, and Hermione was sitting dutifully at her side, letting her grip her hand.

"What's going on?" Harry asked, looking desperately at Hermione. "Ron said they had to start delivering the baby?"

"Yes," Hermione nodded. "They-"

"He's coming now, Harry," Ginny gasped. "I know it's early but-ah!"

She let out another cry, and Harry quickly took her hand.

"Mrs. Potter, the next push is going to need to be the big one," one of the healers at the foot of the bed. "We can see the head."

"You can do it, Ginny," Harry said, trying to stay as calm as possible for his wife. In reality, a million worries were going through his head. Was the baby going to be alright?

Ginny gripped his hand with all her might, pushing hard. After a moment, she let out a breath and fell back against the bed.

"Here he is," one of the Healers said. "He's out."

At once, Harry knew something was wrong, and he could tell by the look on Hermione's face that she knew it as well.

The room was silent; the baby wasn't screaming and crying, as James had as soon as he had come into the world.

Harry craned his neck and almost collapsed onto the floor when he was his son. He was so small…hardly bigger than a doll. But what worried Harry the most was that his face was the slightest shade of blue, and by looking at his still chest, he could tell that that infant wasn't breathing.

"What's wrong?" Ginny asked shakily. "Harry…why isn't he crying?"

Harry didn't have any response.

The room was completely silent. The group of healers were huddled around the child, wands all drawn. The head healer had his wand placed in the center of the infant's chest, and was whispering some incantation.

Ginny let out a soft sob, and Harry instinctively put his own shaking arm around her.

"What's going on?" Harry finally managed to ask, looking over at the healers. "Please…is he-"

Harry was cut off, though, as a loud, wailing scream filled the hospital room. The healers stepped away from the baby, who was no longer blue in the face.

Harry dropped into the chair next to Ginny's bed; speechless. Hermione let out a cry of surprise.

"His lungs are still a bit underdeveloped," the head healer explained as the other two began to wrap the child up in a set of blankets. "So he didn't start breathing on his own right away as most babies normally do once they come out. Luckily, with a bit of help from a strong Oxygenation charm, he's now breathing perfectly fine on his own."

"So he's okay?" Ginny asked hesitantly. "He wasn't supposed to be born for another month."

"Yes," the healer nodded. "Fortunately, the only effects that he's showing from an early birth is small size, but he'll catch up there in no time. We'll be giving you a special potion that he'll need to take to help fuel that growth along."

"You hear that, Ginny?" Harry said, hardly daring to believe the news. "He's alright. Our son is alright."

Ginny nodded, tears still falling from her eyes as the healers handed over the bundle of blankets.

"He's perfect," Harry whispered, staring down at his son, who was now asleep. He turned to Hermione, who was standing towards the corner, trying not to intrude on the couple's moment. "Ron said you brought Ginny here."

"She did," Ginny smiled. "She was brilliant. I couldn't apperate or take the Floo in my state, so she drove me all the way here in under ten minutes."

"Thank you," Harry said sincerely.

"Of course," Hermione said, stepping over to the bed, looking down at the newborn. "Oh he's beautiful."

"He looks so much like you," Ginny whispered to Harry. "Even more so then James."

"I'll leave you three alone then," Hermione said. "Harry, Ron and I will take James to our place for the night, so you can stay here."

"You're a lifesaver, Hermione," Harry said. "Thank you."

Hermione left the room, leaving the couple alone with their newborn son.

"I've never been more scared in my life," Ginny said softly to Harry as he sat down next to her in the bed. "I really thought we were going to lose him. I don't know what I would've done if-"

"I know, it was horrifying," Harry said understandingly, kissing her temple. "But Ginny, we can't think about what could have happened. Let's focus on what _did_ happen; we've got a brand new baby boy."

"Yes," Ginny said, tears falling from her eyes. "We do. And he's perfect. Oh! Look, he's waking up!"

Albus' eyes slowly opened up as he let out a few murmurs.

"And would you look at that?" Ginny chuckled. "He's got your eyes, Harry. He really looks exactly like you now. Here, why don't you hold him?"

She gently transferred the baby to her husband.

"Albus Severus Potter," Harry whispered, beaming proudly down at him. "Welcome to the world."


	69. Chapter 69

"Think Binns will mind if my essay is three inches shorter than the minimum?" Lily asked as her, Hugo, Lorcan and Lysander sat around a table in the library.

"Hope not, because mine's probably going to be six inches short," Hugo sighed. "Honestly, who could expect us to write eighteen inches on something as dull as the formation of International potion exchange laws? Have you two finished your essays?"

"Hmm?" Lorcan said, looking up from his paper. "Oh, haven't started, actually."

"Well what have you two been doing this whole time?" Lily asked.

"Detailed sketch of a Himalayan Snooting Horn Beetle," Lysander grinned.

"A what?" Hugo frowned.

"It's a large beetle that burrows itself into your ear and buzzes tunes," Lorcan explained. "Or so mum says, at least. Did we tell you? We're going exploring in the mountains for a bit over the Christmas break; we're going to try and find some."

"That sounds fun," Lily said. "Wish I could go."

"You could," Lysander said at once. "Mum and dad wouldn't mind at all. They can write to your parents and ask if you like. I'll send an owl home and-"

"Oh, that's alright," Lily said. "I couldn't go anyway. My family is going to France over the break to stay with Teddy and Victoire to start planning their wedding."

"Oh," Lysander said. "Well…that's too bad then, maybe next time."

"Sure," Lily smiled, stuffing her books into her bag. "Come on, Lorcan; Arithmancy is about to start and if I'm late again, I'll be put in detention. Hopefully Roxy saved us seats in the back. We'll see you two later."

"Bye," Lysander said, staring after Lily as her and Lorcan left.

"So Ly, can _I_ come with you to the mountains?" Hugo grinned. "Or was that invitation open just for Lily?"

"What do you mean?" Lysander frowned.

"Come on, mate, I know you fancy her," Hugo said.

"I do not!" Lysander sputtered. "Why would you say that?"

"It's obvious," Hugo shrugged. "You have for years now. I mean you practically shove everybody out of the way when we're about to sit down so you're sure to sit next to her. You're always finding any excuse to spend time with _just_ her. And whenever she starts seeing somebody, you get into this moody, pouty phase."

"That doesn't mean a thing," Lysander said lamely. "Besides, even if it was true, and I'm not saying it is…she wouldn't fancy me back. She probably thinks of me as like a brother or something."

"If you say so," Hugo said, turning back to his essay.

"If I say so?" Lysander repeated. "Wait, what do you mean by that?"

"I think she'd fancy you back," Hugo replied simply. "But if you don't want to take my word for it, then alright. I won't bring it up anymore."

"Why do you think she'd fancy me back?" Lysander asked urgently. "Has she said something to you? You'd be the first to know, wouldn't you? You two are best friends."

"I know Lily better than anyone," Hugo said. "I can just tell."

"You can just tell?" Lysander repeated. "That's all you can give me?"

"What's wrong with that?" Hugo asked.

"I'd like hard evidence that she likes me back before I go and put my neck out there!" Lysander snapped.

"Hard evidence?" Hugo smirked. "You always say that just because there's no proof about something, that doesn't make it real?"

"Well this is different!" Lysander said. "Look…you're right, alright. I like Lily…a lot. Lately…Lately she's been all I can think about. But she's one of my closest friends; if I tell her how I feel and she doesn't feel the same, I could push her away entirely."

"Come on, Lily wouldn't do that," Hugo said. "But…blimey, you seem distressed. Tell you what? I'll try to find out for certain if she fancies you."

"You will?" Lysander exclaimed. "Perfect, thank you! I owe you one, Hugo."

"Just promise me you won't be one of those overly affectionate couples once the pair of you get together," Hugo said, rolling his eyes.

…

"How was practice?" Hugo asked Lily later that evening, sitting down next to his cousin, who was currently polishing her broomstick.

"Fine," Lily shrugged. "We finished just as the rain started, so that was convenient. And I finally managed to do a Double Sloth Grip Roll."

"I'll pretend I know what that is," Hugo said. "Anyway, what are you up to?"

"Oh, just avoiding that Transfiguration essay," Lily replied. "But Victoire just sent me a magazine of bridesmaid dresses to look through, so I reckon homework might actually be the lesser of two evils here."

"Mhhm," Hugo nodded. "Hey, Lily? What do you think of Lorcan?"

"What?" Lily frowned. "Why?"

"Er, it's for Divination," Hugo said quickly.

"What's that got to do with Divination?" Lily frowned.

"Plenty," Hugo said. "Come on, Lil, this is for homework in the one class I'm doing well in."

"Fine," Lily said, rolling her eyes. "Lorcan is great; he's one of my best friends. He's cool and nice and I can always count on him to tell me more than I'd ever want to know about any magical creature."

"Brilliant," Hugo nodded. "Now what about Lysander?"

"Ly?" Lily said thoughtfully. "Well he's the best person to have around whenever I need a good laugh. No matter how down I'm feeling, he can always make me feel better just by telling me one of his dumb jokes. And he's so thoughtful too. You know last year, for my birthday, he wrote me the most beautiful poem in my card? And he's so kind too; he always sticks up for everybody. And-What?"

"Nothing," Hugo said, grinning from ear to ear.

"Are you _sure_ this is for Divination?" Lily said slowly. "I'm in the class with you…I don't remember hearing anything about this assignment."

"That's because you never pay attention in that class," Hugo said simply. "Well, I'm going to sneak down to the kitchens, try to find some snacks. See you, Lily."

…

"Well?" Lysander said as Hugo came to a stop outside the kitchen. "Anything?"

"Like I said, she definitely fancies you," Hugo replied.

"You're sure? She told you that?" Lysander asked.

"In a way, yes," Hugo nodded.

"In a way? I told you to get me hard evidence!" Lysander exclaimed.

"Ly, Lily's perhaps one of the most stubborn people you'll ever meet," Hugo said. "You know that. And she's never been one to just gush about her feelings. She's never going to come right out and say she likes you."

"Well then what am I-"

"Just take a chance," Hugo said. "It's what you have to do. If you wait around looking for absolute proof that Lily has feelings for you, you may never have a chance to be with her. You don't need proof to know that something exists."  
"Blimey, you sound like my mum," Lysander said. "And _nothing_ like _your_ mum."

"I'm told I take after my dad mostly," Hugo shrugged.

Lysander sighed, leaning back against the wall. "What if she just turns me down? What if she tells me we should keep going on as only friends?"

"What if she doesn't?" Hugo said.

Lysander looked thoughtful.

"Well, I came all the way down here, might as well actually get some food from the kitchens," Hugo said, turning towards the picture of fruit and tickling the pear, causing the frame to swing open. "Hope they have some mashed potatoes…I'm starved."

…..

The next afternoon, Lysander stood out on the grounds, watching Lily as she sat near the lake, absentmindedly flipping through a magazine. The sun beamed down perfectly on her long, red hair, making it appear as if she was glowing.

Lysander took a deep breath and slowly walked over to her.

"Hey, Lil," he said, causing her to look up. "You busy?"

"Oh no," Lily said. "Just looking at dresses."

"Dresses? You?" Lysander couldn't help but smile.

"It's for Teddy and Victoire's wedding," Lily explained. "What do you think of this lavender one? Roxy thinks it will look nice, but I think it makes me look like a grape."

Lysander glanced down at the dress, and the image of Lily wearing it made his mouth go very dry.

"I'll look later," Lily shrugged, cramming the magazine back in her bag. "Teddy told me he could care less if I show up in jeans, but I know for a fact that Victoire would hex me. So would my Aunt Fleur and my grandmother, probably."

"I reckon you're right," Lysander agreed. He cleared his throat. "Er, nice day out, isn't it?"

"I suppose," Lily said. "It's a bit cold, though."

"Then what are you doing out here?" Lysander asked.

"I thought it would snow," Lily sighed.

"That's right…you love the snow," Lysander smiled.

"I do," Lily nodded. "I don't mind the cold at all if it snows. Ah well, maybe tomorrow. Want to head back inside? We can try to start up a game of Exploding Snap or something."

"Wait, um, I actually wanted to talk to you," Lysander said quickly, feeling his heart hammering within his chest. "Alone…"

"What is it?" Lily asked curiously.

Lysander looked down at his lap. "Promise me you won't laugh in my face first, alright?"

"Why would I laugh in your face?" Lily frowned. "Wait…did you accidently walk into Moaning Myrtle's bathroom again? Because I can't help _but_ laugh at that."

"No," Lysander said, still looking down. "That's not it…"

Lily took notice of his serious tone. "Are you alright, Ly? Come on, talk to me…what is it?"

Lysander looked up, staring right into her dark, brown eyes. "Lily…I-I fancy you. A lot. You're all I can think of. And-And I know we're friends, but I just-I think of you as more than that."

Lily blinked. "You _fancy_ me?"

"Yes," Lysander said, feeling his hands begin to shake, and he knew that it had nothing to do with the temperature. "But, um…listen, I understand if you don't feel the same…Of course you don't feel the same. Look at you…you're beautiful. You can do a lot better than me. Um, we can just forget everything I just said, alright? Er, I bet I just had a few Wrackspurts floating around in my mind."

"Thought Wrackspurts didn't like the cold," Lily pointed out, raising an eyebrow.

"Well…they've made an exception for this very moment," Lysander said, scrambling to his feet.  
"Wait, Ly!" Lily said before Lysander could run off back to the castle. "I-I don't want to forget any of what you just said."

Lysander stared back at her. "No?"

"No," Lily confirmed. Her cheeks were now the same color as her hair. "Because…well, I-I fancy you as well."

Lysander could hardly believe what he was hearing. "You do? Since _when_?"

"For a while now," Lily said. "But I was too afraid to tell you…"

"Since when are Gryffindors afraid of anything?" Lysander smirked.

"Oh shut it," Lily said, rolling her eyes, but smiling widely at him.

"So do we, you know, start seeing each other then?" Lysander asked slowly. "You know, since we both fancy each other?"

"Seems like the natural next step," Lily replied.

"Wow…" Lysander said. "This went much better than I thought. Glad I decided to be the brave one here. Walk you back to the castle?"

He held out his hand for her, his eyes sparkling.

Lily took his hand. "I'd like that," she said as she took his hand. "Oh, but one thing…"

She pulled him closer to her and stood on her toes, pressing her lips to his in their first kiss.

"There," she said triumphantly as she pulled away. "Now you'll get to say you the one brave enough to ask me out, but I'll get to say I was the one brave enough to kiss you first."

"Fair enough," Lysander said thickly, his lips still tingling.


	70. Chapter 70

**AN-Set during Order of the Phoenix**

 **…**

"I give up," Ron mumbled, looking at the two galleons he had in front of him as he sat in the corner of the Gryffindor common room. "There are just too many bloody people to buy gifts for. How am I supposed to manage with hardly any gold?"

"Who are you talking to?"

Ron turned to see Ginny walking down from the girls' staircase.

"Do you mind? I was ranting to myself," Ron snapped as his sister joined him.

"Figuring out Christmas gifts?" Ginny asked, ignoring his comment and sitting down next to him. " I suppose I should start on that as well."

"I saved all year, but this is all I managed," Ron sighed, nodding at the two gold coins.

"I'm not much better off than you," Ginny said, giving him a small smile. "It was far easier when we were younger and we could get away with giving those homemade gifts we came up with. Remember that oven mitt we made mum?"

"The one we made from old pillowcases and Spellotape?" Ron smirked. "Blimey, that was a disaster. Thing looked like it was sat on by a giant. Fortunately we were so young that mum had no choice but to pretend to love it…Forgot we always used to go in on presents together."

"Well we had no choice, seeing as we were the youngest and got the least amount of pocket money," Ginny pointed out. "You know, why don't we go back to that? If we put our money together, we can afford to buy somewhat decent gifts for mum and dad and the others, and still have some left over."

"Yeah, alright," Ron said. "That could work. Er, I'm not sure of what to get everybody exactly, though…"

"Just give me one galleon," Ginny said, picking up a single coin and pocketing it. "I have gifts in mind for everybody in the family; I'll just attach your name. It will be far easier that way."

"You're a lifesaver," Ron said, relieved. He suddenly grew serious. "Are we sending anything to Percy?"

Ginny looked away. "You know he still hasn't answered any of mum's owls? She writes him two or three times a week begging him to just talk to her, but he refuses."

"Git…" Ron muttered darkly. "That's got to be killing her."

"How could he do this to them? To all of us?" Ginny frowned. "We're his family. Doesn't he care about us?"

"I reckon all he cares about right now is moving up in the Ministry," Ron said heavily.

"I think you're right," Ginny said sadly.

The two were silent for a moment.

"We're not sending him anything," Ginny finally said. "Not after what he's put mum and dad through."

"Here, here," Ron nodded. "He'd probably send back anything we gave him anyway."

"Probably," Ginny agreed. "Anyway, are you going to go off to bed now since you don't have to worry about buying gifts anymore?"

"No, because I still _do_ have to worry about that," Ron said. "I'll get Harry some Berttie Botts beans or something, but I don't think Hermione would like those very much…"

"No, I don't think she would," Ginny grinned. "And of course you'd want to make sure that your gift to her is _perfect_."

"Knock it off…I just owe her from letting me copy all of her homework assignments this term," Ron said, his face turning bright red.

"Yes, I'm sure that's all," Ginny said teasingly.

"What sort of things do girls even like, anyway?" Ron huffed. "Should I get her a necklace or something?"

"Hermione hardly ever wears jewelry," Ginny pointed out. "Why don't you just buy her a book? I'm sure she'd love that."  
"Yes, but I want to get her something more…personal," Ron said.

"Wow, she must've let you copy a _lot_ of homework," Ginny commented.

Ron narrowed his eyes at her, but said nothing.

"Well…the other day she did mention that she would like some new perfume," Ginny said slowly.

"Perfume?" Ron repeated.

"Yes, she said she was getting a bit bored with the kind she has now," Ginny nodded.

"That's perfect!" Ron exclaimed happily. "I can get her some of that! I think I saw an advertisement for some I could order through owl mail in the _Prophet_ this morning."

"Do you want me to help you pick out the scent?" Ginny asked.

"Why would I need you to help me with that? How hard could that be?" Ron asked. "I'll do it myself."

"Oh no, Ron, you don't know the first thing about perfume," Ginny said. "You'll wind up picking out something that smells absolutely horrid."

"Why would they make a scent that smells horrid?" Ron frowned.

"Just _please_ let me help you pick it out," Ginny said.

Ron thought for a moment. "Oh alright. I guess I could use your help."

"Fantastic," Ginny smiled. "I promise, I'll make sure you get something she loves."

"Good," Ron said before he could stop himself. "Er…I mean…alright. I don't care too much…it's not big deal, really. Like I said, it's just a thank you for all her help with homework lately."

"Of course it is," Ginny nodded. "Whatever you say."


	71. Chapter 71

"James, did you finish your drawing for daddy yet?" Ginny asked, sliding a few pieces of bacon onto a tray in the Potter's kitchen.

"Yes," the three-year old nodded, holding up a large sheet of paper with several figures drawn on it. "I drew daddy playing Quidditch!"

"Lovely," Ginny smiled. "I'll help you sign your name to it in a bit."

"My turn!" two-year old Albus insisted, trying to take a marker and add his own contribution to James' drawing.

"No!" James said, snatching his picture away. "This is _my_ birthday present to daddy."

"Oh James, please let him help you," Ginny sighed as Albus began to whimper. "He was too little to make a picture on his own. And you're his big brother…he looks up to you for these sort of things. Teddy helps you all the time…"

"Alright," James conceded. "Come on, Al. You can draw the Snitch."

"Thank you," Ginny smiled, happy to have one crisis averted. She felt a few gentle kicks from within her abdomen, and she placed her hands against the large swell. "Well good morning to you too, Lily."

"Is she kicking?" James asked excitedly. "I wanna feel!"

"Me too!" Albus echoed as both boys rushed over to their mother.

"Here," Ginny said, guiding their hands so they could feel their unborn sister kicking.

"Cool," James grinned. "When's she gonna finally be here?"

"Just one more week," Ginny said. "Finally…I can't wait to meet her."

"I play with baby?" Albus asked.

"Well, you won't be able to play with her right away," Ginny said, scooping eggs onto the tray. "Because she'll be quite small. But she'll be running around after both of you before you know it."

"Are we ready to bring daddy his birthday breakfast?" James asked.

"We have to wait for Teddy to arrive," Ginny replied.

Right on cue, the sound of the fireplace roaring to life could be heard, and a moment later Teddy ran into the kitchen, carrying a small, poorly wrapped, package.

"Perfect timing," Ginny said, giving him a quick kiss on top of his head. "We're all ready to bring Harry his breakfast."

"Guess what?" Teddy said. "I bought Harry's present this year all on my own! With my own money; I saved up for weeks for it!"

"Oh how thoughtful," Ginny beamed. "He'll love whatever you got him, Teddy. Alright now, you lot, let's go upstairs."

She pointed her wand at the tray, causing it to levitate up into the air. She followed behind the three children as they bounced up the steps and pushed open the door to her and Harry's bedroom.

"Happy birthday, daddy!" James yelled, jumping up onto the bed and throwing his arms around his father.

"Happy bir-day!" Albus said, attempting to pull himself up onto the bed as well.

"Well thank you," Harry grinned, pulling Albus up onto his lap.

"Harry, I picked this out for you myself!" Teddy said proudly, handing him the package. "Open it up!"

"Can't wait to see what it is," Harry said, pulling off the wrappings and opening up the box. He held up a bright orange tie with paisley spots on it. Ginny had to hold back a laugh as she imagined how her husband would look wearing such a thing.

"Do you like it?" Teddy asked eagerly.

"I love it," Harry said, hugging his godson. "I'll wear it when I go into the Ministry tomorrow."

"You'll look very handsome, love," Ginny said, setting the breakfast tray down next to Harry and sitting down to give him a long kiss. "Happy birthday, sweetheart."

"Yuck!" James gagged.

"Thank you," Harry smiled. "Ah, and breakfast; brilliant, I'm starving."

"I wanted to cook it for you, but mommy said she had to help," James said. "I put the toast in the toaster, though!"

"Is that why it tastes so good?" Harry smirked, taking a bite.  
"Probably," James nodded. "Oh! And look at the picture I made you! Er, well, Albus helped a bit too."

"I do that!" Albus said happily, pointing to the yellow circle in the middle of the page. "Snitch!"

"This is great, you guys," Harry said. "I'll hang it right in the middle of my office so I can show it off."

"Alright, you three," Ginny said. "How about you all let him eat his breakfast now while you go get dressed."

"And then we can go out and play in the garden," Harry told the children. "It's a beautiful day out."

"Yeah!" James cheered excitedly.

"I'll help them get dressed," Teddy said importantly.

"You're a big help, Teddy," Harry said. "What would we do without you?"

"Who knows?" Teddy shrugged. "Come on, James and Albus, let's go."

"Don't you want to have a nice lie in on your birthday?" Ginny asked.

"Nah," Harry said, taking a forkful of eggs. "Mmm, this is delicious, by the way. Although I _told_ you, you didn't have to go down there and do all of this. It can't have been easy cooking while managing James and Albus in your state."

"The boys were actually surprisingly well behaved," Ginny smiled, leaning back against the pillows, resting her head against Harry shoulder. "Your daughter on the other hand has been extra rambunctious so far today. She must sense it's your birthday and is feeling festive."

"Is that it, Lily?" Harry chuckled, resting his hand on Ginny's abdomen.

"Can't wait until she's finally born," Ginny yawned. "She's really wearing me down."

"Why don't you stay up here and have a nap while I go down and look after the kids?" Harry suggested.

"No, no," Ginny said. "It's your birthday."

"I don't mind in the slightest," Harry insisted.

"I'll be alright," Ginny said. "Besides, I might wind up sleeping through the whole afternoon and miss the birthday lunch mum has planned for you."

"Are you sure you're up for that?" Harry asked his wife. "The Burrow is going to be packed; there will be a lot of commotion going on."

"I can handle it," Ginny smiled, kissing his temple.

"Well, the second you're ready to come back home, just say the word, alright?" Harry said.

"Okay," Ginny agreed, craning her neck to kiss him again. "Deal."

…

"Well, looks like you're really getting up there in years, doesn't it, Harry?" Ron grinned several hours later, as the two sat in the living room of the Burrow, eating large slices of cake.

"We're the same age," Harry pointed out. "If I'm getting old, so are you."

"He's got a point," Hermione smiled, coming into the room carrying Hugo in her arms. "Having a good birthday, Harry?"

"Course," Harry nodded. "Thanks for the new briefcase, by the way. I needed it; James poured pudding in mine a few nights ago. Have you seen Ginny, by the way?"

"I'm here," Ginny said, trudging into the room. "Lily keeps bouncing on my bladder. That must've been my sixth trip to the loo in the past hour."

"You feeling alright?" Harry asked.

"It's just the normal pregnancy feelings," Ginny assured him. "I'm used to it by this point. These last few weeks are always the worst."

"There you are, dears," Molly Weasley said, joining the four in the sitting room.

"This cake was delicious, Molly," Harry said. "Thank you."

"Oh don't mention it," Molly beamed. "I take it all the children are still outside?"

"George is showing off the latest joke shop products," Ron replied.

"He is?" Molly frowned.

"Angelina and Fleur are making sure he doesn't show them anything too extreme," Ginny told her mother, shifting in her seat, trying to get comfortable. "Come on, Lily…give me just a few moments to relax without you trying to do a backflip in there."

"I can make you a cup of herbal tea if you like?" Molly offered. "That always helped me."

"No, I'm actually really hungry," Ginny said. "I could go for another piece of cake…"

"I'll go get you some then," Harry said, starting to get to his feet.

"For the millionth time, you don't have to wait on me today," Ginny said, heaving herself up. "It's your birthday. Save it for tomorrow; I'll have plenty of things I'll want you to do for me then."

"Well if you're going into the kitchen anyway, can you get me another piece of cake?" Ron asked.

"Ronald!" Hermione snapped, swatting his shoulder.

"What?" Ron frowned.

"You can get up yourself and get your cake," Ginny said, rolling her eyes. "I'm not-"

She stopped talking, her eyes suddenly growing wide.

"What is it?" Harry asked, jumping up and rushing to her side. "Are you alright?"

"My water just broke…" Ginny said softly, looking up at her husband.

"Are you sure?" Harry asked, putting his arm around her to support her.

"Yes," Ginny nodded, a smile forming on her face. "Lily's on her way."

Harry beamed. "Okay! Let's go! Let's get you to the hospital!"

"Oh, I'll go round everybody up!" Molly said excitedly. "Don't you worry about James and Albus and Teddy; we'll have somebody look after them."

"Good luck!" Hermione said as Harry helped Ginny out of the room.

…

Several hours later, Harry sat in a chair next to Ginny's bed, staring down at the small, pink bundle of blankets in his arms. Ginny, who had been napping, slowly stirred and opened her eyes.

"One of our children finally got the Weasley hair," Harry whispered to her, gently stroking the infant's soft, red locks.

"Finally," Ginny smiled tiredly.

"She has your eyes too," Harry added. "She's going to look just like you when she's older."

"Well it's only fair," Ginny said. "James and Albus both look so much like you. Is she hungry? I can nurse her if she is."

"I gave her a bottle while you were sleeping," Harry told her. "Everybody is here in the waiting room as well. I told one of the healers to hold them off for a bit longer so you could rest, though."

"You should go fetch them soon," Ginny said. "I can only imagine what sort of havoc James and Albus are causing out there."

"Right," Harry nodded.

"I can't believe she came today, of all days," Ginny said. "You two will have the same birthday."

"I know," Harry grinned happily. He looked back down at his daughter, who was still sleeping peacefully in his arms. "She was the best birthday present I could've ever asked for."


	72. Chapter 72

"My mum," Ginny announced, walking into her and Harry's shared flat. "Is driving more and more insane each day."

"What happened?" Harry asked, looking up from the paperwork he had been going through.

"She's upset that the flower arrangements don't perfectly match the centerpieces," Ginny sighed, sinking down on the couch next to him. "She got all mad at me when I told her I couldn't care less about that."

"She's just trying to help," Harry said, putting his arm around her.

"I know," Ginny said, resting her head on his shoulder. "Still, I can't wait for all this wedding craziness to be done next week."

"And we'll finally be married," Harry smiled, kissing her temple.

"That's the only thing that's getting me through all of this," Ginny said, cuddling closer to him. "It's all going to be worth it in the end."

"Yes, it is," Harry agreed.

"Are you busy with work?" Ginny asked, looking at the stack of papers in front of him.

"I can push it off until tomorrow," Harry said. "We can watch a movie on the telly if you like? It might take your mind off of all the wedding stress."

"Alright," Ginny agreed. "You'll have to set it up, though. I still don't know how to work that bloody thing."

"Sure," Harry said. "Course that means I get to pick the movie."

"Just pick something good this time," Ginny said. "That one we watched with Hermione and Ron last week was horrible. It made no sense…why was that man flying around pretending to be a bat?"

"Ron thought it was a brilliant film," Harry pointed out.

"Perhaps he's the one you should be marrying then," Ginny smirked playfully.

"Nah, I still prefer you, even if you have horrible taste in movies," Harry chuckled. "Oh, by the way; one of the team owls brought you buy a package while you were out. I left it for you on the desk."

"Oh, thanks," Ginny said, getting up and stepping over to the desk, where a lumpy parcel was waiting for her.

"Do you know what it is?" Harry asked.

"Yes, it's a new team jersey," Ginny said, opening it up.

"Why are you getting a new one in the middle of the season?" Harry asked.

"Because," Ginny said, pulling an emerald green and gold jersey out of the box. "I won't be able to wear my old one after next week."

"What do you mean?" Harry frowned.

Ginny held up the jersey, showing him the back of the garment. Instead of saying Weasley, as her old jersey did, this one now read Potter.

"What do you think?" Ginny asked. "Do you like it?"

"Yes," Harry said, stepping towards her and pulling her close to him. "I love it. I thought you were thinking about keeping your surname, though? I don't care if you take mine."

"I know," Ginny said. "But I realized that there are Merlin knows how many Weasleys out there, especially now with all my brothers getting married and starting to have children…You're the only Potter. I'd like to join you in that."

"You're sure?" Harry asked.

Ginny nodded. "Positive."

Harry leaned down and kissed her, the jersey pressed between the two of them.

"In that case, can't wait to see you wearing this," Harry said once they pulled apart.

"Would you like me to go put it on right now?" Ginny asked, smiling seductively up at her fiancé. "Before we watch the movie."

"I don't think I'll be watching the movie very much with you wearing that," Harry said.

"That's alright," Ginny said, lacing her hands around his neck. "I don't mind."


	73. Chapter 73

"It's an absolute pigsty over there," Ginny fumed, shaking her head. "Something has _got_ to be done."

"He's not going to be pleased with you going over to his flat and cleaning," Harry told his wife.

"Well if James would have kept it clean himself, I wouldn't have to clean it," Ginny said. "Honestly…he's been moved out for about three weeks and already that flat looks as if a niffler got lose in there. And Merlin knows he doesn't have any food in that kitchen of his, so I'll have to cook him at least a few meals for him to have throughout the week."

"Ginny, I was just over there last night," Harry said. "The place really doesn't look too bad. And he actually went to the store and bought himself food to cook on his own."

"He doesn't know how to cook," Ginny said.

"Think maybe you just miss him living here?" Harry smiled knowingly.

"Maybe," Ginny sighed. "Can't believe he's really moved out."

"I know," Harry said. "But remember when Teddy moved out? He came around four or five times a week."

"That's true," Ginny nodded. "Still, I'm going to straighten up his flat. If he brings that muggle girl he's started seeing over, he'll want to make a good impression. I'll be home in a few hours."

"Alright," Harry said. "I have to go into the Ministry at four to interview a few of the prisoners from Azkaban who are up for parole, so I won't see you until late tonight, if you're still awake."

"I'll try to be," Ginny said, giving him a quick kiss. "Bye, love."

As Ginny disapperated from the living room, Lily came downstairs. "Where did mum just go?"

"Over to your brother's flat," Harry replied.

"Oh," Lily said. "Well is it alright if I go see Lysander?"

"Why don't you have him come over here?" Harry suggested.

"Why? So you can hover over us?" Lily said, rolling her eyes. "No thanks."

"Well are Luna and Rolf home?" Harry asked. "I don't want the two of you alone in an empty house."

"Yes, they're home," Lily said. "Even though we've been together loads of times before."

"Before you two were dating," Harry said darkly. "But so long as his parents are home, you can go ahead."

"Thanks," Lily said, heading towards the fireplace. "Bye dad."

No sooner had Lily disappeared into the flames, a loud popping noise sounded, and Albus appeared in the middle of the living room.

"Morning, dad," he said brightly.

"Morning," Harry replied. "I suppose walking down the stairs was just too much effort for you?"

"I just got my apparation license," Albus defended. "I've got used to traveling this way."

"Right," Harry said, rolling his eyes. "Anyway, it's just you and me this morning; everybody else has already left. Fancy going down to the Leaky Cauldron for some breakfast?"

"Wish I could, but I'm playing in a big football match today down at the park," Albus said. "I've got to get down there."

"Oh, well I'll come watch you," Harry said.

"Er…" Albus said slowly. "You don't have to…I'm sure you're busy."

"Nope, I've got five hours before I'm needed at work," Harry said happily.

"Oh, um, well, see…not that I don't _love_ when you come to my matches," Albus said, clearing his throat. "But um, there are these two girls that are both coming to watch me play as well and, um…"

"It'd be embarrassing to have your father there as well," Harry said, raising an eyebrow.

"Well I wouldn't put it that way," Albus said quickly. "It's just-"

"It's fine," Harry assured his son, giving him a small smile. " _Two_ girls are after you?"

"I know!" Albus beamed excitedly. "Can't wait to rub that in James' face next time I see him. Well, I'll be home by dinner. See you, dad."

Albus headed out the front door, leaving Harry alone to wonder what he was going to do with an empty house. He didn't have long to think, though, before he heard another popping sound.

"Oh good, you're up," Teddy said, adjusting his robes. He held up a box of pastries. "Have you eaten?"

"Nope," Harry replied, taking the danish Teddy offered him. "Thanks."

"Mind if I hide out here for a bit?" Teddy asked. "Victoire, Dom, Molly and Fleur are over at the flat in full wedding-mode."

"Shouldn't you be involved in that, seeing as it's your wedding?" Harry asked.

"Tried for a bit," Teddy said. "But they've been going on about tablecloths for the past two hours…I just told Victoire I'd be fine with whatever she wound up choosing and came over here. Personally, I think prefers this…she told me I was being too agreeable."

"Ah," Harry nodded.

"I don't really care about the flowers or the tablecloths," Teddy continued. "I would like good food, but honestly, I just want to be married. If Vic would go for it, I'd be fine just going down to the Ministry and signing one of those marriage certificates."

"Ginny and I considered doing that for a bit," Harry said.

"Why didn't you?" Teddy asked.

"Molly told us, in no uncertain terms, that'd she'd never let us hear the end of it if we did," Harry grinned. "Besides, the day turned out being great; we're glad we had the ceremony. You will be too."

"I suppose," Teddy agreed. "I think I remember a bit of your wedding…"

"Really? You were only three," Harry said.

"I remember getting cake all over my suit," Teddy said. "And I thought gran would be mad at me, but she just laughed." He looked down at his lap. "Wish she could be there…"

"I know you do," Harry said gently. "She adored Victoire; she'd have been thrilled to see you marry her."

"She would've," Teddy smiled. "Hey Harry…you think my parents would've liked Victoire?"

"Course they would have," Harry said. "They'd be able to tell how happy the two of you make each other. That's all they would've cared about."

"They didn't have a wedding, did they?" Teddy asked.

"No," Harry replied. "They married in secret. I didn't find out they had done so until after the fact."

Teddy nodded. "They loved each other…didn't they?"

"Yes," Harry said at once. "I didn't know the two of them as a couple for very long, but I could tell."

"Good," Teddy said softly. He cleared his throat. "Anyway, while I'm over here, Victoire wanted me to ask Lily if she's tried on her bridesmaid dress yet. Where is she?"

"Over with Lysander," Harry replied.

"By herself?" Teddy frowned. "What were you thinking?"

"Luna and Rolf are over there," Harry told him.

"What are you talking about?" Teddy said. "Luna and Rolf are in New Zealand."

"What?" Harry frowned.

"Lorcan went with them as well," Teddy nodded. "They mentioned it when they sent their owl with their RSVP to the wedding yesterday."

"Damn it!" Harry cursed, jumping to his feet.

"You're really slipping in your old age," Teddy grinned. "So you going over there to let her have it?"

"Course I am," Harry nodded. "Want to join me?"

"Sure," Teddy said. "Like I said, anything beats wedding planning."


	74. Chapter 74

"Mum? Can I send a letter to Rose?" Hugo asked his mother, who was sitting in the living room, looking through a large book.  
"Of course you can," Hermione smiled, closing her book. "Do you miss your sister?"

"A bit, I suppose," Hugo shrugged. "But I really need to know if she moved my Chocolate Frog Cards; I can't find them anywhere."

"I'd check your father's desk," Hermione said. "He was trying to make the nose on his picture look a bit smaller."

"Oh alright," Hugo said, sitting down next to his mother. "Mum…I'm bored."

"Have you finished your homework from your muggle school?" Hermione asked.

"No…" Hugo admitted. "But it's hard, mum! And I don't need to know half that stuff anyway. It's a waste of time learning about it."

"It's never a waste of time learning anything," Hermione said firmly. "Why don't I help you? Go get your folder, sweetheart."

The nine-year old sighed as he went over to his knapsack and pulled out an overly-stuffed folder and pulled out a few worksheets.

"I'm supposed to write the definitions of all these words," Hugo explained. "But I can't remember all of them. And I'm supposed to answer these questions about the book we're reading in class, but I think I'm few chapters behind, and I don't really understand what is going on…Oh, and math! I need _lots_ of help with math. And science I suppose too."

Hermione frowned. "All of this?"

"None of it makes any sense," Hugo mumbled. "So can you help me?"

"Of course," Hermione said. "We'll get this all done, Hugo."

…

"Well, I would not want to be George right now," Ron said later that evening as he apperated into his and Hermione's kitchen, where his wife was looking through several Ministry memos. "Roxy found the levitation candy we've been working on and ate a bunch of it, and now she's having the time of her life flying around our shop. George is going to have to get out his broomstick to catch her…it was pretty funny."

"Will Roxy be okay?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah, the stuff's harmless," Ron nodded. "George and I tested it last week."

He bent down and gave her a quick kiss. "Hey…are those Ministry memos? I thought you were supposed to be taking the day off today."

"There are no _real_ days off for the Minister of Magic," Hermione said, giving him a small smile. "But I did get to spend some time with Hugo. We went out to lunch with my parents, and then we came back home and I helped him with his muggle schoolwork. Ron…I think we need to talk about that."

"About what?" Ron asked.

"Hugo's schoolwork," Hermione said. "I'm afraid he's starting to fall behind."

"Well it's just muggle school," Ron shrugged. "He won't use half of that stuff once he gets to Hogwarts."

"It's still important for him to know!" Hermione snapped. "Besides, a lot of the skills he's supposed to be learning there _are_ going to help in Hogwarts, like reading!"

"He can read," Ron said. "He reads those comic books all of the time."

"Yes, but when it comes to his school readings, it seems like he's really struggling," Hermione sighed. "He's not comprehending and retaining the information he reads at all. I went through his school folder, Ron. Do you know what his grades in Reading are? C's!"

"Er, still not really familiar with the muggle grading scale," Ron said. "I just know Rosie got all those A's."

"C's are average, Ron," Hermione explained.

"Oh, well great then," Ron said.

"It's not great!" Hermione sputtered. "We should be encouraging our children to be the best that they can be."

"Maybe his teacher isn't the best," Ron suggested.

"No, I talked to Harry, and Lily's doing wonderful in the class," Hermione said.

"Hermione," Ron sighed. "I think you may be overreacting here."

"I'm overreacting because I want Hugo to do well in school?" Hermione scoffed.

"No," Ron said calmly. "I want him to do well in school too. But just because he's not excelling doesn't mean it's the end of the world. It seems like he's doing his best, and he's right where he needs to be."

"But Rose always-"

"He's not Rose, Hermione," Ron said gently.

Hermione stared up at him.

"Hugo's not one to read book after book for enjoyment," Ron told her. "And schoolwork may not be as easy for him as it is for Rose. We can't force him to love that kind of stuff like the two of you. He's just got, you know, different strengths. He tries his best in school, doesn't he?"

"Of course he does," Hermione said at once. "I just spent hours working with him. He's definitely trying hard. But…you're right. It just doesn't come as naturally as it did with Rose."

"He took mostly after me in that area, I'm afraid," Ron smiled. "But like I said, he's brilliant at a ton of other things."

"Yes, he is," Hermione agreed. "He's better at you at chess already."

"I wouldn't say he's _better_ than me," Ron said. "But yes, he's much better at chess than his sister. And he's getting to be quite a good artist; Luna said he got a lot of strong feedback about that picture of a Crumple-Horned Snorkack he drew her for the last _Quibbler_ issue."

Hermione sighed. "Oh you're right. I feel awful…do you think I've been making Hugo feel inadequate because I put so much focus on his academics?"

"I'm sure Hugo knows how much you love and support him," Ron assured her, putting his arm around her.

"But his schoolwork _is_ important," Hermione said. "If he's struggling I _do_ want to help him."

"So do I," Ron said. "Tell you what; after dinner I'll sit down with him and see if I can be of any help to him."

"That's a good idea," Hermione smiled. "And…maybe once he's done with that the two of us can do some drawing together…"

"I think he'd love that," Ron said.


	75. Chapter 75

It was well past midnight when Harry apparated into his dark, empty living room. He hadn't expected anybody to be awake, and though he normally would've wanted nothing more than to see his family after coming back from a week-long Auror mission, he was truly grateful for the solitude at the moment.

He pulled off his cloak and let out a long sigh as he sunk down onto the couch, burying his head in his hands. It had been a difficult case; a string of muggle murders in a small village at the hand of a deranged wizard showing his devotion to the Dark Arts and the idea of magical superiority. What had made this case truly horrendous, however, was that out of the seven muggle victims that this wizard had taken before the Aurors had managed to capture him, four of them had been children.

In his ten years as an Auror, Harry had seen things that had shocked him to the core. Even after the war, he had learned quickly that there was still plenty of evil left in the world. But no case had ever shaken him like this one. For when he saw each of those poor, still children, all he could see was James and Albus and Lily and Teddy.

After several moments, he finally rose and slowly started up the steps. Before turning into his own bedroom, he peeked into each of his children's bedrooms, taking time to simply watch them sleep peacefully, without a single worry.

When he entered his room, he found Ginny fast asleep, her long red hair splashed across the pillows. Harry quickly slipped off his shoes and slipped into the bed, trying his best not to wake his wife.

It was a lost effort, though. The second Harry lay down on the bed, he felt Ginny stir.

"Harry?" she mumbled tiredly.

"Hi," Harry whispered as she sat up. "Sorry, didn't mean to wake you."

"Don't be silly, I've missed you so much," Ginny said, slowly beginning to wake up fully. She put her arms around him. "I wasn't expecting you home for at least another few days, though."

"We had a lucky break; Horrison got sloppy and let us corner him just outside of the muggle village he was targeting," Harry told her as she moved closer to him.

"Good," Ginny said. "I read a bit about him from the _Prophet_ …seven murders. It's just disgusting. What story are they covering this up with for the muggles?"

"They'll just be saying he was madman who went on a killing spree with a regular knife," Harry replied. "Obliviation Squad is heading out in the morning to alter the memories of anybody who saw him actually use magic."

The couple was quiet for a bit.

"Harry," Ginny said softly. "The _Prophet_ said that-that he had killed children?"

Harry nodded gravely.

Ginny let out a quiet sob. "I was hoping they had gotten that part wrong."

"It was four of them," Harry said. "Youngest one was only three…Lily's age."

"Oh Harry, don't," Ginny said at once. "Don't do that to yourself."

Harry didn't reply as Ginny tightened her embrace around his shoulders.

"You can't think like that," she whispered.

"I couldn't stop thinking of them," Harry told her, tears burning in his eyes. "It's always hard, when-when we have to see the bodies. But with children…"

Ginny said nothing as she let him rest his head against her shoulder.

"I never understood what Ron must've been going through to make him want to give up being an Auror," Harry continued. "It's never easy, and you see things…but I've never wanted to give it up. But now…I don't know."

"You want to give up being an Auror?" Ginny asked gently.

"I'm just tired, Ginny," Harry said weakly, looking right into her eyes. "How much more evil can there be? We've been fighting for years and years and it never stops! Grindlewald, Voldemort…it's been going on for centuries and it keeps on happening!"

"I know," Ginny said, squeezing his hand. "I wish it could all finally stop. I wish it more than anything. But we both know that that won't ever happen. There's always going to be evil people in the world…that's just how it goes, I suppose. But-But we can't just do nothing about that, can we? If we don't fight that evil, then it wins, doesn't it?"  
Harry didn't reply.

"I don't know how you do it, sometimes," Ginny continued. "Seeing what you do, especially after everything you've already been through. I can't blame you one bit for wanting to just step away from it all. But love, I know you. Do you think you'd be happy to just walk away and let all of this happen without doing what you could to stop it?"

Harry sighed. "Absolutely not."

"It's that hero thing in you," Ginny said, giving him a small smile. "It just never fades."

Harry ran his fingers through Ginny's hair. "It's just hard sometimes."

"I know," Ginny said. "So talk to me. What can I do?"

"This," Harry mumbled, holding his wife closely in his arms. "Just be here."

Ginny kissed his temple. "I can do that."


	76. Chapter 76

"If you've come to harass me for the paperwork from the Dorkin case, I've already turned everything in," Harry said as Hermione entered his office.

"I just popped in to see if you'd like to have lunch," Hermione said, rolling her eyes. "But I _am_ pleased that you've finally turned that in. You know, Harry, the files from Auror missions really _are_ supposed to be turned in to the Head of Magical Law Enforcement within two weeks of the mission."

"Well you're not head of the department anymore, _Minister_ ," Harry smirked. "So why are you the one checking up on me?"

"Old habit," Hermione said.

"Right," Harry chuckled. "Well, if you give me a few minutes to get through these memos, I'll join you for lunch. We can go to the Leaky Cauldron. Course that will mean there will be story running in _Witch Weekly_ tomorrow about our affair. Wouldn't that hurt your re-election campaign? You'll need to be starting that soon, won't you?"  
"Actually," Hermione said, sitting down across from Harry's desk. "I won't be running again. I'm giving up my seat at the end of this term."

"Really?" Harry frowned. "But Hermione, you've been the best Minister we've had in ages. Even Kingsley says so."

"You're biased," Hermione told him.

"Only a bit," Harry admitted. "But why aren't you running again?"

"Well, after ten years in the position, I think I need some time to slow down," Hermione explained. "Ron and I are thinking of traveling for a bit."

"You've earned the rest," Harry said. "But are you really ready for retirement?"

"Oh I won't be retiring completely," Hermione said. "Millie is planning on transferring over to the Department of International Magical Cooperation at the end of the term as well, so I'm planning on going back to my spot as Head of Magical Law Enforcement."

"Course," Harry said. "Which means once again you'll be breathing down my neck about bloody paperwork."

"Not if you turn it in on time," Hermione said.

Harry frowned as he stared down at the memo in his hands. "Hmm…that's strange."

"What?" Hermione asked.

"Request to be moved to desk duty," Harry replied. "From Lily."

"Really?" Hermione said. "She _wants_ off the field?"

"Apparently," Harry said. "I don't get it; when I tried to keep her at a desk when she first started here two years ago, she was furious."

"And I've heard she's brilliant out on missions," Hermione said. "Everybody says she's exactly how you were."

Harry smiled. "That's the scary part. Well, I'll have to ask her about this. Her and Lysander are coming round for dinner tonight; I'll bring it up then."

….

"Desk duty?" Ginny repeated as she pulled a roast from the oven. "Lily?"

"I was shocked too," Harry said. "I'm perfectly fine with her not being out there in dangerous situations, but I wouldn't have thought she'd want that."

"Well she should be here with Ly any minute," Ginny said, levitating the roast over to the table and setting it down in the center. "If they're late after I spent all day making this dinner…"

"Since when do you know how to prepare a roast?" Harry smirked.

"I followed a recipe from mum," Ginny said. "I think it turned out fairly nicely, but I suppose we'll have to wait and actually taste it first."

Just then there was a loud popping sound in the living room, and a moment later Lily, along with her husband Lysander, walked into the kitchen.

"Perfect timing," Ginny smiled. "Dinner just finished."

"Brilliant, I'm starving," Lysander said happily.

Just then there was a peck at the kitchen window; a small tawny owl had just arrived with the _Evening Prophet_.

"Oh, he'll be needing paid today," Ginny said. "Hold on one second while I grab a few knuts, then we can eat."

"Dad?" Lily said as Ginny left the kitchen. "Since when does mum cook? Both of you are awful in the kitchen. Er, no offense."

"She decided to have a go at this today," Harry said. "And she worked really hard on it, so we all need to eat it…no matter how it actually turned out."

"Got it," Lily smiled as Ginny came back into the kitchen and quickly slipped the coins into the pouch on the owl's leg.

"So Ly, how has everything been at _The Quibbler_?" Ginny asked as everybody sat down around the table.

"Everything's been great," Lysander said. "I'm interviewing this very interesting Warlock next week about his recent discovery of flying salamanders in the East Andes."

"Flying salamanders?" Harry repeated.

"Yes, they're really fascinating creatures," Lily nodded, smiling proudly at her husband.

"Ah, well…that's lovely," Harry said. "And how about your parents, Ly? Are they back from the States yet?"

"They come back tomorrow evening," Lysander replied. "My dad got asked to do an extra lecture at the Salem Institute, so they had to stay one more day."

"We're having dinner with them as soon as they get back," Lily said. "So dad, do you think it'd be alright if I left about half-an-hour early tomorrow, so long as that probation report gets turned it?"

"That'd be fine, I suppose," Harry said. "Especially seeing as you've asked to be taken off of any missions."

"Oh good," Lily said happily. "You saw my request then?"

"I approved it earlier this afternoon," Harry said. "Though I have to admit I'm a bit confused. It's not like you to want to sit behind a desk."

"No," Ginny agreed. "Your father would have far less gray hair if that was what you preferred, though."

"Oh, it's only temporary," Lily smiled, looking up at Lysander. "Don't worry one bit; I'm not giving up fighting."

"Well why do you need a temporary change?" Harry asked.

Ginny nearly dropped her fork. "Oh...Oh Lily…are you…?"

Lily nodded her head, positively beaming.

"Oh!" Ginny gasped, jumping to her feet and rushing over to hug her daughter. "Oh, this is unbelievable news!"

"What is?" Harry frowned.

"You'll have to spell it out for your father, dear," Ginny said, wiping a tear from her eye. "He's just as oblivious about these sorts of things as ever."

Lily turned to Harry. "Dad…Lysander and I are going to have a baby. I'm pregnant; that's why I asked to be taken off the field for a bit."

Harry felt as though a bludger had just slammed into him.

"We found out a few days ago," Lysander said, looking just as excited as Lily. "You both are the first ones we've told. We'll be telling my parents tomorrow evening."

Harry was speechless as he tried to process the information he had just received.

"You alright, dad?" Lily asked softly.

"Course I'm alright," Harry finally managed, standing up to hug Lily. "That's wonderful news. Congratulations both of you."

"Another baby in the family; your grandmother is going to be thrilled," Ginny said, grinning. "But how have you been feeling, Lily?"

"Great, actually," Lily said. "I thought I'd be having really bad morning sickness like Victoire did, but it's been quite manageable."

"Well sweetheart, I hate to break it to you, but that likely won't last," Ginny smiled. "If you're anything like me, you'll soon find yourself with constant aches and moods you don't know what to do with."

"And if she's anything like Ginny, you'll be sent on about a hundred different midnight errands for the most unusual snack foods," Harry told Lysander, grinning.

"She's done that even before she got pregnant," Lysander chuckled. "I'm used to it."

Lily rolled her eyes. "Yes, well…like we said, we're telling Ly's parents tomorrow. We're thinking of telling the rest of the family at Grandmum's Sunday dinner, so please don't mention it to anybody, alright?"

"Of course," Ginny promised. "We won't say a word."

…..

Later that evening, Harry was sitting down in the living room, looking through a box of old pictures, smiling as he shined the lit up tip of his wands over the images.

"Thought I'd find you down here," Ginny said, sitting down next to him. "Couldn't sleep?"

"No," Harry replied. He handed his wife the picture he had just been looking at. "Remember this one?"

Ginny nodded, looking down at the picture of a one-year old Lily sitting on her father's lap; cake smeared all over her face as she clapped her hands happily.

"Her first birthday," Ginny sighed nostalgically. "That was twenty-one years ago, wasn't it? Now look at her…"

"She's going to have a baby of her own," Harry nodded.

"I know," Ginny said. "It's crazy."

Harry picked up another picture, this one a bit more recent, of Teddy and Victoire, and their three-year old son.

"Feel just like I did when Remmy was born," Harry said.

"Old?" Ginny finished knowingly.

"A little," Harry grinned. "But mostly proud."

"Yes," Ginny agreed. "Very proud."


	77. Chapter 77

"We have the three tents we already had from the last World Cup," Harry said as him and Ron sat hunched over a sheet of parchment. "Bill and Fleur have another two…think that will be enough?"

"Let's see," Ron said thoughtfully. "The four of us, plus the six of you, will fit in the four-bedroom tent. Gin and you can have one room, Hermione and I will take the second, and then we cram the six kids into the rest of the rooms."

"Teddy volunteered to sleep on the couch in the sitting room, so I think that will work," Harry nodded. "And then George and Percy can each take a two-bedroom tent for their lots."

"Bill said his tents are three bedrooms each," Ron continued. "So if Charlie can stay with them, we'll put mum and dad in his second tent, along with Hagrid, and we should be set!"  
"Brilliant, that only took use three hours to arrange," Harry said, leaning back in his seat.

"You've finished sorting out the tent situation then?" Ginny asked, as her and Hermione joined their husbands.

"Yes we have," Ron said proudly. "It'll be tight, but we'll manage. Besides, even if our entire lot had to cram into a one-bedroom tent, we wouldn't want to miss this match. First time England's been in the World Cup in over two hundred years…everybody will be there."

"I still say we should get there three days early," fifteen-year old James said, walking into the room, eating a bag of crisps. "That way I can meet the players and get my name in the mix."

"James, you can't be recruited to a professional team until after you leave Hogwarts," Ginny reminded him.

"Viktor Krum played professionally while he was at school," James pointed out.

"Thought that name was never to be spoken," Ron muttered darkly as Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Well the rules have changed since then," Ginny said. "Besides, it will do you no good to get there early. Even the press isn't allowed to talk to the players until _after_ the match is complete. _But_ , it just so happens that Melinda Goldbloom, one of the scouters for England's national team, invited me to have drinks with her once everything finishes. If you'd like, I'm sure she wouldn't mind if you tagged along."

"Hold on, you know one of the scouters for England's team?" James frowned.

"Goldbloom…isn't she the one who was about to put you on the team back when you played for the Harpies?" Harry said.

"Yes, the very same," Ginny nodded.

"Mum! You were about to be put on England's _national team_?" James sputtered. "Why the bloody hell did you never play?"

"It was roughly sixteen years ago," Ginny smiled. "Same time I discovered I was pregnant with _you_."

"Oh," James said. "Sorry about that…"

"It's quite alright, dear," Ginny said, kissing the top of his head. "We were so excited to have you on the way that I didn't mind one bit."

"Mum…" James muttered, pulling away from Ginny, his cheeks reddening as Rose and Albus walked into the room.

"Oh, are those the tents we're staying in during the World Cup?" Rose asked, eyeing the parchment on the table.

"Yes, Harry and I finally got it all figured out," Ron said brightly. "You'll be sharing a room with Lily, by the way."

"Does that mean I'm supposed to share with Albus?" James frowned.

"That's right," Harry said. "And we're warning the pair of you now, you better keep the arguing at bay. Last thing we need is for this tent to be destroyed."

"Er, actually Rose and I were wondering if we could suggest something," Albus said, looking over at his cousin. "See, in Scorpius' last letter, he mentioned that his father couldn't get tickets to the match this year."

"Ha! Ol' Malfoy name's not as influential as he used to be?" Ron smirked.

"His parents need to be at an important meeting in Greece," Rose replied.

"And we were thinking…we have an extra ticket to the match, don't we? Could we invite Scorpius to join us?"

"Bloody hell…" Ron breathed.

"Oh Ron, Scorpius has been their best friend since they started Hogwarts," Hermione said. "Why wouldn't they want to invite him to the match with them?"

"It _would_ be a shame to let that extra ticket go to waste," Ginny added.

"But, um, do we have enough rooms in the tents?" Harry asked slowly.

"Yeah, I am _not_ sharing a room with Albus _and_ Scorpius," James said.

"He could bunk with Lily and I," Rose offered.

"No," Ron said firmly.

"James can have the couch," Albus reasoned.

"That's where Teddy will be," Harry said.

"No, didn't he tell you?" Albus replied. "Him and Vic got their own little tent and they're going to be staying there together."

"Bill's not going to be pleased with those arrangements," Ginny chuckled.

"So see? Now we have room," Rose smiled. "So can we _please_ invite him?"

Ron and Harry exchanged looks.  
"Well…alright," Harry conceded. "I suppose that'd be okay."

"Thank you!" Albus said excitedly, turning to Rose. "Come on, let's go write him and tell him the news."

"This will be interesting," Ron sighed as the two ran off.

"At least Malfoy won't be there," Harry reasoned.

"Scorpius is a wonderful boy," Ginny said.

"Gets that from his mother, I suspect," Ron said darkly.

"I thought you both decided to make sure your issues with Draco didn't get in the way of the children's friendship with Scorpius," Hermione said.

"We don't have any problem with Scorpius," Harry said.

"Well," Ron said. "He _does_ stand a bit too close to Rosie sometimes."

"But it's still sort of odd having his son so close to Rose and Albus," Harry said, ignoring Ron's comment. "Don't you think so?"

"Well…yes, I suppose I can see your point," Hermione agreed.

"Like you said though, Malfoy won't be coming, at least," Ginny said.

"Good, because I draw the line at sharing a tent with him," Ron said. "Even if England _is_ finally in the World Cup."

…

"You have to come," Harry told Ron.

"Make Ginny come with you," Ron said.

"She's in Diagon Ally with Lily," Harry said.

"He's _your_ son's best friend," Ron retorted.

"Rose is just as good of friends with him as Al is," Harry countered. "Come on, it will be quick. We just go to their estate, get Scorpius, and apparate back here. Five minutes tops."

"Fine," Ron conceded, getting to his feet. "But you owe me for this."

The two men got to their feet and pulled out their wands, disapparating from the Potters' sitting room. A second later, they were standing at the end of a long walkway that led to a large, majestic home.

"Not quite as big as his father's place," Ron commented.

"Looks like he's trying to scale back a bit," Harry nodded as they walked up towards the front door.

Before Ron and Harry had even reached the front steps, the door of the estate opened and Draco and Scorpius Malfoy stepped out. Scorpius was carrying a knapsack, and as he saw Ron and Harry approach, he gave them both small smiles.

Draco and Harry locked eyes, exchanging short nods.

"Hi Mr. Potter…Mr. Weasley," Scorpius said politely. "Thank you for letting me stay with you for the World Cup."

"Any time," Harry said, not taking his eyes off of Draco. "Rose and Albus are excited to have you."

Draco cleared his throat. "We were planning to go ourselves," he spoke. "But urgent business…"

"Right," Ron said simply, glaring at Draco.

"Well," Harry said, wanting to leave as quickly as possible. "We'll be leaving for the campsite first thing tomorrow morning."

"Right," Draco nodded. "I've arranged to be notified once the match ends. I'll fetch Scorpius once it's over."

"Alright," Harry said. "Er, Scorpius if you're ready to go then…"

"Bye dad," Scorpius said to his father.

"Enjoy the match," Draco said, clasping his shoulder.

"Come on, then," Ron said. "We need to get back and finish packing."

Harry, Ron, and Scorpius and started back to the front gate.

"Potter," Draco said in a voice only Harry could hear. Harry stopped and looked over his shoulder.

"Thank you," Draco said.

Harry nodded. "Don't mention it."


	78. Chapter 78

"She's going to be a Gryffindor," James said, shoveling a forkful of eggs into his mouth. "Guarantee it."

"She could be a Slytherin," Albus said, pouring himself a glass of juice.

"Two Slytherins in the family?" James frowned. "I've only just lived down the shame of having you in there."

"Maybe she'll be a Hufflepuff," Teddy said, sitting down at the Potter's kitchen table. "Or perhaps a Ravenclaw…She's always been close to Aunt Luna."

"Are you lot still debating where Lily will be sorted?" Ginny asked, rolling her eyes as she came into the kitchen.

"Where do _you_ think she'll go, mum?" Albus asked.

"I don't know," Ginny said simply. "But wherever she goes-"

"-It won't matter a bit, blah, blah, blah," James cut her off. "We _know_ mum. But you _must_ have at least a guess, right?"

"Just finish your breakfast," Ginny said. "Your father is almost finished loading the trunks into the car. Then we'll need to be getting off soon."

"-And I'm going to try and meet all of the Hogwarts ghosts by the end of my first week," Lily said excitedly as she followed Harry into the kitchen. "And the twins and I want to try and train the giant squid! And Hugo, Roxy and I are going to try and convince Hagrid to let us rid Witherwings! And then-"

"Think you'll manage to squeeze any classes into your time at Hogwarts?" Harry joked as Ginny handed him a mug of coffee.

"Course, I'm going to be top of my class in Defense Against the Dark Arts!" Lily said proudly. "Like you were, daddy!"

"I wasn't top of my class," Harry said.

"Only because you didn't bother too much with that written junk they put you through," James grinned. "But we know you blew everyone else away when it came to the practical stuff. Speaking of which, Lil, I've still got loads of my old essays from my first year. I'll sell them to you for, oh…two galleons?"

"You do any such thing and I'll personally make sure you don't play another match for Gryffindor this year," Ginny said firmly.

"Teddy, you coming to the platform with us?" Harry asked his godson.

"Can't, seeing as you stuck me with all the paperwork from the Lewis capture last week," Teddy said. "I've got to go in and get started on it. I'll say my goodbyes now."

He gave Albus and James quick hugs. "Have a good term, you two. See you at Christmas then; write if you need anything."

He stepped over to Lily. "Aw Lils, it's going to be strange not having you here when I come around anymore. Can't believe you're finally going to Hogwarts. But you'll love it there, I promise."

"Course I'll love it," Lily grinned, hugging Teddy back. "I'll write and tell you everything."

"I know you will," Teddy chuckled. "Well, have a safe trip then!"

"Lily, you need to eat something," Ginny said as Teddy disapperated from the kitchen.

"I'm too excited," Lily said, bouncing up and down. "Besides, there's food on the train."

"You'll need something a bit more than Chocolate Frogs and licorice wands to hold you over for the trip," Harry said. "It's a long ride."  
"Fine," Lily conceded, grabbing a piece of toast and taking a bite. "Happy?"

"Thrilled," Harry smiled.

"Al and I were just talking about where we think you'll be Sorted," James said to his sister. "He thinks you might do well in Slytherin, but I know you'll find your way to Gryffindor."  
"Slytherin's not bad," Lily said. "I wouldn't mind being put there. All I care about is being on the house team, wherever I wind up. Mum, dad, can you _please_ write me a note to let me try out for Quidditch this year?"

"McGonagall would send that note right back to us," Harry said. "She's not going to bend the rules for you just because we ask her to."

"She bent them for _you_ ," Lily pointed out.

"Trust me Lily, it's no use," James said. "I tried to try out when I was a first year, and just wound up with two-weeks detention."

"I hope I'm with Hugo," Lily continued. "And Roxy. And the twins. Think we'll all be in the same house?"

"Well, even if you're not, you can still stay close to them," Ginny assured her. "Luna and I were very close friends when we were in school even though we were in different houses. Same with Al and Rosie."

"That's true," Lily nodded, finishing the last of her toast. "Alright, we should get moving."

"Lily, we still have a bit of time before we need to go," Harry told his daughter. "Have some more toast."

"Oh, you know she's going to be bouncing around until she's finally on that train," Ginny smiled. "She's been waiting for this moment ever since she saw Teddy go off to Hogwarts."

"That's right," Lily said.

"She was only two when that happened," Harry pointed out. "She wouldn't even remember it."

"Let's just _go_ ," Lily pleaded. "Please?"

"Alright, alright," Harry sighed, getting to his feet. "You three sure you packed everything?"

"Yes, yes, we're sure," Lily said before either of her brothers could answer. "Now come _on_!"

….

"My ears are ringing from the silence around here," Harry commented that evening, as him, Ginny, Ron and Hermione sat around the Potter's living room.

"Last ones off to Hogwarts," Ron said sadly. "Crazy, isn't it?"

"Oh, I _do_ hope Hugo remembered to pack everything he needed," Hermione sighed. "I _knew_ I should've helped him."

"I'm sure he has everything," Ginny said kindly.

"Yes, you're probably right," Hermione agreed, looking at her watch. "Oh! Ron, it's nearly two in the morning! We should get home; I have to be at the Ministry in less than five hours."

"So do I," Harry yawned. "So forgive me if I doze off in that meeting of yours."

Just and Ron and Hermione were about to step into the fireplace, there was a soft pecking sound at the window.

"Oh! That's Lily's owl!" Harry said, hurrying to the window. "And that's Hugo's, isn't it?"

"Yes, they must've written as soon as they finished the feast," Hermione said as Harry let the owls in.

"Let's see where they wound up," Ron said eagerly as him and Hermione opened up Hugo's letter, while Ginny and Harry took Lily's.

 _'Hi Mum and dad,'_ Lily's letter read. _Hogwarts is even more wonderful than I could've imagined! I can't wait for my next seven years here! I'm so excited to start lessons and learn all the secret passages (James claims he knows them all, but I bet I can find a few he hasn't!). I'm going to have tea with Hagrid tomorrow after classes; I can't wait to see his hut! I'll write to you later on this week; looking forward to seeing you both at Christmas. Oh! I was sorted into Gryffindor, by the way. Uncle Neville said he's glad to have me in his house (I suppose I should get used to calling him 'professor' now). Love, Lily.'_

"Well?" Ron said as him and Hermione looked up from Hugo's letter.

"Gryffindor," Harry grinned. "How about Hugo?"

"Same," Hermione smiled. "They must be thrilled to be together."

"That's our last Sorting then," Ron said. "We've got a pair of Gryffindors, and you two have a Hufflepuff, a Slyterhin, and two Gryffindors."

"Perhaps we should have another one," Ginny grinned to Harry. "Try for the full set."  
"You've shut down that idea every time I've suggested it," Harry said, rolling his eyes.

"Yes, I know," Ginny said, resting her head on his shoulder. "I suppose I'm just lonely now that all of the kids are officially off at school."

"Come the holidays you'll be missing this peace," Harry smirked.

"Fair point," Ginny agreed.

"Well, we really _do_ need to be going now," Hermione said, folding up Hugo's letter and tucking it away in her robes. "Give our congratulations to Lily when you write her back."

"Same to Hugo," Ginny said. "Good night, you two."

"Really is strange now, having an empty house," Harry commented as Ron and Hermione Flooed out of the living room.

"Think we'll get used to it?" Ginny asked.

"Doubt it," Harry said, kissing her temple.

"Me too," Ginny sighed.


	79. Chapter 79

Eleven-year old Victoire Weasley stood in the third-floor corridor at Hogwarts. Like most of the walls of the castle, the walls of this corridor were covered in beautifully-framed pictures. Unlike most of the pictures in rest of castle, though, the occupants of these pictures did not run idly back and forth between one another's frames or joke to passing students. These occupants stood perfectly still against their black, velvet backdrops.

These pictures showed each of the fallen heroes of the Battle of Hogwarts.

Victoire had heard the names of most of the portraits growing up. She knew of Mad-Eye Moody and her late Uncle Fred. She knew that Collin Creevy had been a member of the original Dumbledore's Army, and that Lavander Brown had been the last victim of the Fenrir Greyback.

"Victoire!"

Victoire spun around and saw Teddy jogging over to her.

"There you are," he said, brushing his golden yellow hair out of his eyes. "I thought we were going to have a game of Gobstones out by the lake."

"Sorry," Victoire said softly, not taking her eyes away from the wall of portraits. "Took a wrong turn."

Teddy nodded, saying nothing as he followed Victoire's gaze to the two portraits placed right in the middle of the wall.

"Those are your parents," Victoire stated simply.

"Yup," Teddy said, clearing his throat.

"I've seen them in the pictures your grandmum has around your house," Victoire continued. "But here they look more…"

"Stoic?" Teddy suggested.

Victoire nodded.

"My mum would've never stood all straight and professional like that," Teddy told her. "According to Harry and my gran, she was a bit on the clumsy side. And my dad normally wore robes far more shabbier than that. I know they made these portraits as a memorial and their supposed to be respectful, but I think it would've been better if they actually painted them to match the personalities of the victims. I mean look at Fred…you know everyone says him and your Uncle George were exactly alike. Could you ever imagine George with such a serious look on his face?"

Victoire glanced at Teddy. "Do you come here often?" she asked softly.

Teddy didn't respond.

"Sorry," Victoire said quickly. "You don't have to tell me that. I was just…well, it's the first time I've seen this. I knew it was here, but-"

"Last year I did," Teddy told her. "Found it my first night in the castle. Well, I went looking for it, rather. Professor Longbottom wound up finding me down here at around three in the morning. He should've given me a detention…But um, for my first few weeks, I used to come by here three or four times a day. Skived off a few classes even to just come and sit and look at them…I used to just sit here and wonder what it would be like if-if my mum and dad hadn't died."

" _Used_ to?" Victoire whispered. "You mean you don't come here anymore?"

"No, I still do," Teddy said. "But only about one a month. I think Professor Longbottom told Harry I was spending all my time here…or he might have known on his own. But anyway, he told me something…said that it doesn't do well to dwell on dreams, and forget to live. Not really sure what he meant, but I think what he was saying was that I shouldn't get lost in the past or something like that…I mean, my mum and dad died so that I could live in a better world. It wouldn't be doing them justice to close myself up and just fantasize about what it could've been like if they were still around, would it?"

"No," Victoire agreed gently. "I suppose it wouldn't."

"Anyway, it was hard at first, but I forced myself to stop coming so often," Teddy continued. "And when I do come…I try to make it a happier visit. I like to tell mum and dad about lessons and friends and all that nonsense that parents normally like hearing about."

Victoire gave him a small smile. "I'm sure they love that."

"Tell them a fair deal about you, you know," Teddy said.

"Do you?" Victoire said.

"Yeah, I tell them that you're my best friend, that you're one of the brightest witches here, even though you're only a first year, and that I wish you had been sorted into Hufflepuff so we could spend more time together," Teddy said.

Victoire rolled her eyes. "We manage to still spend plenty of time together. Course it does involve a fair amount of sneaking around the castle."

"Yes well, I tend to leave the rule-breaking out of my conversations," Teddy grinned. "My dad was Head Boy, after all. Though from what Harry tells me, he got into his fair share of mischief here."

"I've heard the stories," Victorie chuckled.

"Anyway, now that you're at Hogwarts, I'm sure I'll be telling them loads more about you," Teddy said. He cleared his throat. "You know…it gets lonely here sometimes. Maybe you'd want to come with me one time?"

"You wouldn't mind?" Victoire asked. "I-I wouldn't want to intrude."

"Wouldn't mind one bit," Teddy told her sincerely.

Victoire blushed. "Well then," she said. "I'd be _honored_ to."


	80. Chapter 80

"Alright, Lily," Harry said, sitting down on the couch with his daughter on his lap. "I know I've been trying for days now, but _please_ , just say it, alright? _Da-Da_ …it's not hard! Both of your brothers said _mummy_ as their first word, after all. So let's try again... _da-da_."

Lily simply smiled up at her father, babbling happily to herself.

"Ah well, maybe tomorrow," Harry sighed, letting Lily busy herself by playing with the ends of his robe sleeves.

"Still no luck trying to make her say it?" Ginny asked, coming into the room.

"Nope," Harry said bitterly.

"Oh, don't mope about it," Ginny said, rolling her eyes. "She'll say your name eventually. It just might not be her first word."

"Easy for _you_ to say," Harry scoffed. "You just want to have her say mummy first so you can have a perfect streak."

"You're ridiculous," Ginny said, sitting down next to Harry and beaming down at Lily. "Hello, sweetheart. Are you happy to see _mummy_?"

"See? You're trying to get her to say it!" Harry said.

"So would you like me to just not speak to my daughter until she says your name?" Ginny asked, amused.

"If that's what it takes," Harry grinned jokingly.

"Then have fun changing _all_ of her diapers," Ginny said.

"Funny," Harry smirked.

"Well anyway, you'll have to take a break from trying to persuade poor Lily to say your name in a few minutes," Ginny said. "Ron and Hermione are coming over for dinner with the kids. Hermione found a recipe in a muggle cookbook that we thought we'd take a go at."

"Oh, that sounds…lovely," Harry said slowly.

Just then there was a knock at the door. Ginny got up to answer it, letting Ron, Hermione, Rose and Hugo into the home.

"Hello, you lot," Ginny said, bending down to hug Rose.

"We swung by the muggle grocery before we came here," Hermione told Ginny, handing over Hugo to her husband. "We got all the ingredients we'll need."  
"Great, the kitchen's all ready to go," Ginny said, kissing Hugo's cheek.

"Aunt Ginny? Are James and Albus upstairs?" Rose asked eagerly.

"Yes they are, love," Ginny told her. "They'll be glad to see you. We bought them their first set of gobstones, and they've been absolutely fascinated with them ever since. I think this is the longest those two have gone without fighting over something…"

"Hey, did mum bring you guys over any of her chocolate biscuits?" Ron asked, shifting Hugo in his arms. "I'll take a few and-"

"You'll do no such thing," Ginny said firmly. "Hermione and I are about to slave over dinner. We're not going to have you ruin your appetite so that you can't enjoy our food."

"It should be done within an hour," Hermione told her husband. "You can wait to eat until then. And now you'll be hungry enough for seconds!"

"Er, good point," Ron said weakly, going over to sit by Harry and Lily.

"The plan was to fill up so that I didn't have to endure whatever it is the pair of them are making in there," he whispered to Harry as the girls disappeared into the kitchen.

"Smart thinking," Harry sighed. "Those two are horrible chefs…we'll be bound to starve tonight."

"What are the odds of you having Kreacher bring us some sandwiches after dinner?" Ron asked.

"Right now they're very good," Harry said as Lily began to squirm on his lap. "What is it Lily? What do you want?"

Lily babbled a few syllables, reaching over to Hugo, who smiled delightfully at his cousin.

"Think they want to play," Ron chuckled, setting Hugo down.

"Ah, right," Harry grinned, letting Lily down as well. The two let out excited squeals, and began toddling over to a pile of toys nearby.

"Any luck getting her to say your name then?" Ron asked as him and Harry watched their children play.

"No," Harry replied. "She'll probably wind up saying 'mummy' first like James and Albus."

"Well if it makes you feel better, neither Rosie or Hugo said my name first," Ron said. "Rosie's first word was 'book', and Hugo's first word a couple of months ago was 'cat'. For some reason he's become fascinated with bloody Crookshanks lately…it's sickening."

"Teddy's first word was food," Harry said. "Which he loved to yell at the top of his lungs whenever he got hungry."

"I remember that," Ron nodded. "It was funny. You'll have to remind him of that one day and embarrass him."

"I'll save it for his wedding toast," Harry grinned.

"What on earth are those two doing?" Ron asked as he watched Lily and Hugo lining up Lily's stuffed animals, giggling as they went.

"It's game they made up," Harry said. "The two of them were doing the same thing yesterday at the Burrow. Must make perfect sense to them."

Hugo, who had previously been playing right next to Lily, suddenly spotted another toy across the room. He set off and crawled over to it, leaving Lily on her own. Lily looked visibly upset by her cousin's sudden departure, and opened her mouth. Instead of a cry, though, she loudly cried: "Hugh-Go!"

Hugo stopped crawling and looked back at Lily and gave a happy smile and returned over to her.

"Bloody hell!" Ron exclaimed.

"I don't believe it!" Harry grinned. "That was her first word! Hugo! Hold on…Ginny! Hermione! Come here, quick! Lily just said her first word!"

"What?" Ginny gasped as her and Hermione rushed out from the kitchen. "She did? Oh! What was it? Da-da?"

"Nope," Harry chuckled.

"Mummy?" Ginny asked hopefully.

"Not even close," Ron grinned.

"Hugh-Go!" Lily said from the floor again, handing Hugo a stuffed dragon.

"Oh!" Hermione exclaimed as Ginny's face lit up. "How sweet!"

"You clever girl, you're starting to talk!" Ginny said, picking her daughter up. "I can't believe her first word was Hugo. Who would've thought."

"Considering the amount of time they spend together, we really shouldn't be too shocked," Harry pointed out, kissing the top of Lily's head.

"Da-da!" Lily beamed, holding her arms out for Harry.

"Ah! You did it!" Harry said excitedly, taking her in his arms. "That's right, Lily! I'm Da-da!"

"Well, at least you can say you were her second word," Ginny chuckled.

"I'll take it," Harry said.

"Mu-mee!" Lily smiled, looking at her mother.

"Yes! Very _good_ sweetheart!" Ginny gasped. " _Three_ words in one day?"

"More like three words in five minutes," Hermione said. "Seems she found her momentum."

"You got her talking, Hugo," Harry smiled as Ron picked up the child. "Here I was trying for weeks, and you managed in a just a few minutes."

"This will be such a sweet story to tell them when they're older," Ginny said. "They'll really get a kick out of hearing about this."

….

"Lily likes Lysander! Lily likes Lysander!" Hugo chanted several years later at the Burrow, chasing his cousin around the backyard.

"Shut it!" Lily snapped. "I do not!"

"You sat next to him all day yesterday at Alice's birthday party at Uncle Neville's," Hugo said. " _And_ you shared your cake with him."

"So?"

"You like him!" Hugo said, sticking his tongue out at her.

"You watch it, Hugo Weasley," Lily said, planting her hands on her hips. "Or I'll tell everyone we know that you still sleep with your baby blanket."

Hugo stopped laughing at once. "I don't sleep with it! I just like it on my bed."

"Yeah, to cuddle with," Lily smirked.

"Well that's better than having a _crush_ on someone," Hugo countered.

"Is not!"

"Is too!"

"Is-"

"What are you two going on about?" Harry asked as him and Ron stepped out from the house.

"Daddy, Hugo is _banned_ from our house," Lily huffed, crossing her arms.

"Well you're banned from my house, right dad?" Hugo said, looking over at Ron.

"No one's banned from anywhere," Harry said, rolling his eyes.

"Yeah," Ron nodded. "Besides, the two of you couldn't go more than a day without seeing each other anyway."

"Yes we could," Lily said slowly.

"Nah, even though you two fight, you're best friends," Harry grinned.

" _He_ is not my best friend," Lily said firmly. "He's my-my-emmemey!"

"Enemy, love," Harry corrected with an amused expression.

"Yeah, she's not my best friend either," Hugo nodded.

"How many times have we heard that one?" Ron asked Harry. "Wasn't it just last month they swore they'd never speak to each other because they had that fight over who got mum's last piece of cake?"

"And within an hour Lily was begging for me to take you by your place so she could make up with Hugo," Harry chuckled.

"We mean it this time," Lily said.

"Right," Ron said. "Sure you do."

"We do!" Hugo defended.

"Well Lil, it'd be a bit unfortunate if you and Hugo were no longer friends," Harry said. "That would mean your first word was the name of your, as you said, enemy."  
"What?" Lily frowned.

"Oh that's right," Ron grinned. "Her first word was 'Hugo'."

"No it wasn't!" Lily exclaimed.

"Yes, it was," Harry told her.

"I was your first word?" Hugo grinned at Lily.

"No way!" Lily said, shaking her head.

"She wouldn't stop saying his name for hours after she said it the first time," Harry recalled.

"And then Hugo joined in and said 'Lily' for the first time that same evening," Ron laughed. "And gave Lily a big hug as he said it."

"Hermione caught that on film, didn't she?" Harry asked. "We'll have to find that picture."

"I didn't hug her! Gross!" Hugo cringed. "She's a girl!"

"And they were having such a fun time together that day that they didn't want to leave each other," Ron continued, ignoring Hugo's comment. "Remember when Hermione and I tried to take Hugo back home, they both started screaming their heads off?"

"You guys are just telling stories," Lily said, crossing her arms.

"That's right," Harry nodded. "Hugo wound up sharing Lily's cot that night."

"Yeah right," Hugo scoffed. "You're making that story up!"

"You just want me and Hugo to be friends again," Lily said. "You guys are being-Hugo, think of a big word!"

"Intolerable!" Hugo said, putting his hands on his hips. He turned to Lily. "I learned that word from a book mummy's reading to me. It means 'annoying'."

"Cool," Lily grinned. "That's a _really_ big word. I learned a big word from James yesterday, but mummy told us if we ever said it again we'd be in deep trouble. Hey! We should go find James and call him 'intolerable'. He won't know what it means and it will drive him crazy!"

"Okay!" Hugo said, following Lily as she ran into the Burrow.

"So they were enemies for what, four minutes?" Ron said to Harry.

"That's a record for those two," Harry said.

"They're incapable of being mad at each other for any longer than that," Ron laughed. "They wouldn't know what to do without the other."

"No, they wouldn't," Harry agreed.


	81. Chapter 81

"Ron."

Ron turned and looked up from where he had been sitting on a damaged staircase to see Hermione standing behind him. Her face was tearstained and covered in grime and dirt, just as he was sure his was.

"Hi," Ron said thickly, moving to make space for her. He had left the Great Hall because he wanted to be alone. Strangely, though, he found that her presence was suddenly more welcoming than it ever had been.

"I'm so sorry," Hermione whispered, sitting down next to him, their knees bumping. "About Fred…I-I can't even imagine."

Ron just nodded, staring hard down at the ground. The fact that he lost a brother was slowly starting to sink in, now that all the fighting was over. He had been racking his brain, trying to remember what the last thing he had said to Fred was before he had died.

He couldn't remember.

"Who else?" Ron sighed, blinking back a few more tears.  
"What do you mean?" Hermione asked gently.

"Who else is dead that we knew?" Ron asked.

"Oh…Ron, you-you don't need to worry about that now," Hermione said.

"I want to know," Ron said firmly.

Hermione nodded slowly. "Colin Creevey," she said. "Professor Oligard…she-she taught Ancient Runes. Um…they-they just announced that L-Lavander didn't make it. They tried their best to save her after she was attacked by Greyback, but it was too late."

Ron looked up, noticing tears falling down Hermione's face. He slowly reached over and took her hand in his.

"And-And oh, I-I don't know if you know already," Hermione continued, wiping her eyes. "But-But Remus and Tonks-"

Ron's eyes widened in shock. "No…"

"They died together, from what people have said," Hermione sniffed.

"Blimey…they just had a baby," Ron said heavily. "What's Teddy going to do now?"

"Harry's his godfather," Hermione reminded him. "You know he'll make sure that Teddy's always taken care of."

"Right," Ron nodded. "Speaking of Harry…where is he?"

"I suspect he took his cloak and went off somewhere," Hermione said. "I doubt he'd want to be in the middle of the Great Hall right now. Ginny went off to look for him…I think he needs her right now more than us."

"I guess so," Ron agreed. He squeezed Hermione's hand. "I'd prefer to just be with you right now anyway."

Hermione gave him a small smile. "I'd prefer to be with you as well."

The two were silent for a moment.

"It's finally over…isn't it?" Ron finally spoke.

"Yes," Hermione nodded. "It's all over."


	82. Chapter 82

"Think mum made ham?" Ron asked as he helped Rose get her shoes on in the Potter's living room. "Or maybe she decided on roast…Or pork chops!"

"Has your mum's dinner been the only thing you've been thinking of today?" Hermione asked rolling her eyes as she wiped a spot of dirt from Hugo's nose.

"Honestly, you've been talking about food non-stop," Ginny agreed.

"I'm hungry!" Ron defended.

"Alright, Albus' hair is finally mud free," Harry said, coming into the room with the four-year old. "Did you get it out of Rose's?"

"Yeah, we just got the last of it," Hermione nodded.

"Can't believe the pair of you let them play in the mud puddle," Ginny said, shaking her head.

"They were having fun," Harry said. "We couldn't break that up."

"Which is why _you_ were the one scrubbing mud out of his hair," Ginny said, giving her son a smile as she rustled his clean hair. "Go get your jacket, Al. We're going over to your grandparents in a moment."

"Alright," Albus said, hurrying off to find his jacket.

"Mum? Dad? Can you send this to Teddy at Hogwarts?" James asked, coming downstairs, carrying a large, wet ball-like object.

"Um…what-what is it, James?" Harry asked.

"A quaffle!" the five-year old said proudly. "I know they didn't let him join the quidditch team because he's a first year, but he still has to practice so he can get on _next_ year, so he can use _this_!"

"Ah," Harry chuckled. "Of course. I'll wrap it up and send it first thing in the morning."

"That was very sweet of you, Jamie," Ginny told her son.

"I know," James beamed. "So I should get _two_ pieces of cake for dessert tonight, right?"

"Not a chance," Ginny smiled.

"Nice try, James," Ron said. "But listen, the secret to extra desserts with your grandmother is to be sweet around _her_. You pull something like you just did at the Burrow tonight, and she'll make you a whole cake. _And_ she won't let your mum stop you from eating the whole thing either."

"Really?" James gasped excitedly. "Thanks Uncle Ron!"

"Ron!" Hermione and Ginny snapped at once.

"I'm going to go see if Lily's up from her nap," Harry said, turning to go upstairs to leave Ron to his faith. "So we can finally get going."

He headed up to Lily's bedroom, quietly opening the door. The toddler was laying in her coat, her eyes still closed.

"Lily," Harry whispered, stepping over and gently stroking her back. "Sweetheart, time to wake up. We're going to go see granmum and grandpa."

Lily shifted slightly, letting out a few soft moans, followed by a series of coughs. Harry frowned, putting his hand to her forehead.

"Oh…you don't feel well, do you, Lil Bud?" Harry asked as Lily's eyes fluttered open. She let out a whimper, and Harry quickly picked her up in his arms.

"Feel yuck," Lily said, coughing again.

"I know," Harry said, kissing her temple. "I'm sorry. Well, you'll have to stay home tonight, I suppose. But don't worry, daddy will stay and take care of you. Let me just go tell the others…"

He gently put Lily back in her cot, covering her with her blanket, and returned downstairs.

"Gin," Harry said. "I think Lily came down with something."

"What? She seemed fine when I put her down for her nap," Ginny frowned. "Oh, but she _did_ seem a bit puckish at lunch."

"Poor thing," Hermione said, concerned. "Is she alright?"

"Doesn't seem to serious," Harry said. "Just a tiny fever. Still, I don't think it's a good idea to bring her round to the Burrow tonight. I think I should stay back with her so she can rest."

"You don't mind?" Ginny asked. "You've been looking forward to mum's cooking all week."

"No, you all go," Harry said.

"Well alright," Ginny said. "Let me run up and say goodbye to Lily."

"How come Lily's sick, dad?" James asked his father.

"Sometimes people just get sick, James," Harry shrugged. "Just keep your distance from her for a few days. I'd like to keep the number of sick kids around here down to one."

"But I'm Lily's favorite brother," James frowned. "She'll miss me."

"Hey! I'm Lily's favorite brother!" Albus argued. "You just tease her."

"Do not!

"Do-"

"Your sister doesn't have a favorite brother," Harry said, rolling his eyes. "But you know, I'm sure Lily will get better a lot quicker if the two of you keep it down around here for the next few days so she can rest."

"Okay," Albus and James both said, their argument instantly dissolving.

"Was that comment for Lily's benefit or your own?" Ron grinned.

"You should run a cold bath for her," Ginny said, coming downstairs. "That should help with the fever. I know she never likes to cooperate taking her potion, so if we can avoid having to give her anything, that's be easiest."

"Right," Harry said.

"I'll bring home a plate for you from the Burrow," Ginny promised, leaning up to give him a quick kiss. "See you in a few hours. James, Albus, come on you two. Let's get going through the Floo."

"Lily?" Hugo frowned, looking around for his cousin.

"She'll be back and playing with you soon, Hugo," Hermione assured her son.

"See you later, mate," Ron said, taking Rose's hand and leading her over to the fireplace.

Once the others had gone, Harry went back to Lily's room. She had kicked off her blanket, and was beginning to fuss.

"Let's try that cold bath mummy suggested," Harry said, taking her in his arms.

Thankfully, the bath seemed to calm Lily down a bit. Aftet Harry took her out and dried her off, her eyes were beginning to flutter shut again.

"Good, sleep this off, Lily," Harry said, placing her back in her cot, and settling down into the nearby rocking chair. "With any luck, this bug of yours will pass within a day."

He flicked his wand, and the _Evening Prophet_ flew into the room from downstairs. For the next hour, Harry flipped through the paper peacefully. As he closed the paper, he got to his feet and stepped over to the cot to check on Lily. He did a double take, though, when he caught sight of his sleeping daughter. Odd, brownish-green spots had suddenly started to form all along her arms and legs.

"What the-Merlin, what's going on?" Harry frowned, quickly pulling his wand out. A silver stag shot out the end.

"Ginny," Harry said anxiously. "I need you here. Now."

And with that the Patronus darted out of the room, and Harry turned back to Lily.

"Oh Lil…" Harry said, feeling her forehead, which felt warmer than it had an hour ago. "Please be alright…"

"Harry!" Ginny said, rushing into the room. "I got your Patronus. What's wrong with-oh!"

Her eyes widened as she saw Lily.

"I gave her a bath and put her back down to rest," Harry told her, running his fingers nervously through his hair. "And when I checked on her just now, she looked like this! Do you think we should take her to St. Mungo's?"

Ginny leaned down to take a closer look. "I think…Oh, I think it must be Dragon Pox."

"Dragon Pox?" Harry frowned. "Are you sure?"

"Not entirely," Ginny admitted. "But from what I've heard, this is pretty much what it looks like."

"But isn't Dragon Pox a serious condition?" Harry asked.

"It depends on the severity," Ginny explained. "Normally it's just itchy, scaley patches like this, and some sparks coming from the nose."

"Did you ever have it growing up?" Harry asked.

"No, because if you're given the preventative potion for it, you never catch it," Ginny told him. "Remember the boys got it when they turned three from their Healer? Unfortunately Lily's too young for that potion. But…I know mum said that the twins both came down with it when they were around this age, so she knows quite a bit about Dragon Pox. Hold on and let me go back and get her. She can have a look at Lily."

"Alright," Harry agreed. "Just hurry."

As Ginny disapperated, Lily's eyes opened and she let out a small cough. She held her arms up towards Harry. "Daddy," she mumbled. "Up."

"Of course, sweetheart," Harry said, picking her up at once.

"Where is she?" Molly Weasley demanded, apparating into the center of the room. "Let me see her."

"Here," Harry said as Ginny joined right behind her mother. "Do you think she's okay?"

"Hmm," Molly said, taking Lily from Harry. "Yes…Yes, she has the same symptoms as Fred and George did when they had this when they were her age."

"So…she'll be alright?" Harry asked.

"With rest, yes," Molly smiled, returning Lily to Harry. "She doesn't have yellow eyes or green fingernails, which are the signs of a more serious case. Most important thing is to make sure she doesn't scratch at those spots, which, I'll warn the two of you, won't be easy. But, the good news is, once she's better, she won't ever get Dragon Pox again."

"Oh," Harry said. "So it's like Chicken Pox then?"

" _What_?" Ginny frowned.

"It's a muggle illness," Harry smiled. "Quite similar to this, actually."

"Do people sprout feathers like a chicken?" Ginny inquired.

"No," Harry said. "Only thing that happens is-"

"Harry?" Molly said suddenly. "You've never had Dragon Pox before, have you?"

"Hmm? No," Harry said. "Why?"

"And he's never been given the antidote either!" Ginny gasped. "Oh, Harry, you-you really shouldn't be around Lily right now."

"What? No!" Harry said at once.

"She's right, dear," Molly said gently. "The older you are when you come down with Dragon Pox, the more serious it can be."

"So I'll just take that potion then," Harry said. "And I'll be fine. I'll-"

Ginny cut him off as she took his arm and rolled up his sleeve, revealing a single, greenish-brown spot. "Seems like it's a bit too late for that," she sighed. "You've got it. That was fast."

"So now what?" Harry asked.

"Well, now it won't make a difference if you're around Lily," Molly said. "But we should still get you looked at by a Healer to make sure your symptoms don't get any worse. Come on, I'll go with you to St. Mungo's while Ginny stays and looks after Lily."

"You don't have to do that, Molly," Harry assured her. "I can go on my own."

"Nonsense," Molly said firmly. "Besides, you'd be surprised at how quickly the symptoms can kick in."

Harry opened his mouth to argue, but he could already feel himself starting to get drowsy and weak.

"Alright," he agreed. "Thanks, Molly."

He handed Lily over to Ginny.

"Take care of him, mum," Ginny smiled, craning her neck to give Harry a kiss. "Bye love. Good luck."

"Thanks," Harry said. "I'll see you in a bit." He kissed the top of Lily's head. "We're in the same boat now, Lils."

"Sick?" Lily asked, looking up at Harry. "Daddy sick?"

"Yes, just like you, I'm afraid," Ginny, told her. "But now you'll both get to spend the next few days together recovering. Won't that be fun?"

"Sounds lovely," Harry said, managing a small smile.

….

"So that cure potion thingy worked then?" Ron said to Harry the next day, standing at the foot of his and Ginny's bed.

"Yeah," Harry said, scratching at his right arm, which was covered in spots. "According to the Healers, the worst of my symptom will be these bloody spots."

"Aren't you not supposed to scratch them?" Ron frowned.

"Well they're infuriating!" Harry snapped. "I was up all night trying not to scratch. I don't know how Lily's staying so calm."

"Are you saying a two-year old little girl is taking this better than you?" Ron grinned.

"Ha, ha," Harry said dryly. "By the way, Hugo hasn't been showing any symptoms, has he? If Lily caught this, he may too."

"Not yet," Ron said. "We're hoping he'll be fine until his third birthday in a few months, so he can take that preventative potion. Hermione went down to St. Mungo's and got a dose of that too. That way if Hugo does wind down getting it, she'll be alright."

"Smart thinking," Harry muttered, scratching at his other arm.

"Hey! No scratching!" Ginny said firmly, coming into the bedroom with a tray of soup. "Honestly, you're worse than Lily!"

"Gin, these things itch like mad," Harry defended.

"Well mum brought this stuff over," Ginny said, pulling a container of thick, pink goo out from her pocket. "You rub them all over and it's supposed to stop the itching for a bit."

"Brilliant," Harry said, relieved.

"I'll help you get it on in a bit," Ginny smiled.

"I can do it on my own," Harry told her.

"Yes, but which would you prefer?" Ginny asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well…you, I suppose," Harry grinned.

"Get a room," Ron gagged.

"We're _in_ our room," Ginny frowned. "So maybe you should _leave_."

"I was checking on my best mate!" Ron exclaimed, rolling his eyes. "Alright, I'm getting out of here. See you later, Harry. Feel better."

"Thanks," Harry said.

"Healers said your spots should be clear in a couple more days," Ginny said, unbuttoning the top of Harry's pajamas so she could begin to spread the lotion onto his chest. "Lily's are already starting to fade. She's feeling much better; she tried to climb out of her cot to get to some toys earlier."

"That's a good sign," Harry said.

"I'll bring her in once she wakes up from her nap," Ginny said. "You two can sit in here together. She's been asking for you. I'd be a bit offended, but, well, I think it's sweet how attached to you she is."

She leaned down and kissed Harry's cheek. "So are you feeling better?"

"Yeah," Harry replied. "Course it helps having you here. Thanks for managing everything around here, Gin. I know it can't have been easy. Having me out like this, plus Lily. And then of course you have Al and James running around."

"Yes, well," Ginny smiled, continuing to rub his chest. "Just remember this once you're on your feet again."  
"I'll take all the kids out of the house for an entire day and let you rest," Harry promised.  
"Too right you will," Ginny grinned.


	83. Chapter 83

"Do you know how long you'll be?" Ginny asked Harry as the couple moved about in the kitchen, setting the table.

"I'm hoping not more than a week," Harry said.

"Are you allowed to tell me where you're going?" Ginny asked.

"France," Harry said. "I'm not allowed to say anymore than that. Well, I'm not allowed to tell you _that_ , technically, but seeing as I'm head of the Auror department, I'll let it slide."

Ginny gave him a small smile. "Just be careful, love."

"Aren't I always?" Harry smirked.

"Ha," Ginny said dryly, setting a bowl of potatoes onto the table. "Well dinner's ready. Can you fetch Lily?"

"Lily!" Harry called from upstairs. "Dinner's ready!"

"I meant _go_ and get her," Lily said, shaking her head. "Honestly…"

"I'm starving," nine-year old Lily announced, coming into kitchen.

"Good, because there's plenty of food," Ginny said as everybody sat down. "I'm still not used to Albus being off at Hogwarts, so I made an extra serving."

"I'm sure Teddy will be by to finish it," Harry said, spooning peas onto Lily's plate.

"Very true," Ginny nodded. "Anyway, you'll need to pack your mission bag tonight, won't you? I'll see if I can find you some clean socks and sweaters. And-"

"Mission bag?" Lily frowned, looking up at her father. "Dad? You're leaving again?"

"Just found out a few hours ago," Harry said. "I have to head out first thing in the morning."

"What? But daddy, you just came back from a mission a few weeks ago!" Lily exclaimed. "Why do you have to go again?"

"I know, Lil," Harry said gently. "Believe me, I wish I could stay here with you and your mum. But I'm an Auror, and this is what I have to do to protect people."

"But we were supposed to fly tomorrow!" Lily said. "And you said you'd take me to the muggle shopping mall to look at the Halloween decorations going up."

"I'm sure your mum will take you to the shopping mall," Harry told her. "Er, if she can convince your Aunt Hermione to give her directions. And I promise, we'll fly together the second I get back."

"You should just not go at all," Lily muttered, crossing her arms.

"Lily, you know your father has to," Ginny said.

"Why?" Lily demanded. "It's not fair! He always has to go on missions!"

"I'll be back before you know it," Harry said. "One week tops."

"Yeah," Lily muttered, pushing her chair back as she got to her feet. "Unless you get killed."

Ginny's mouth fell open and Harry dropped his fork in shock as Lily ran upstairs, slamming her bedroom door shut.

"What-What-Ginny, why-why on _earth_ is she thinking about stuff like that?" Harry sputtered. "She's nine! That's far too young to be worrying about something like that."

"Harry, she's been worrying about you on those missions for years," Ginny said gently. "But now she's starting to understand more about just how dangerous they are. And it scares her. It scares me too, to be honest."

"You'd prefer me to give up being an Auror?" Harry asked slowly.

"No," Ginny said. "Because I know that if you weren't out there protecting everybody from the Dark Arts you'd, well, be going mad. You're a fighter, Harry; you fight for the ones you care about most, and that's what I love about you."

"But what about Lily?" Harry asked heavily. "I-I can't leave when she's like this."  
"You need to talk to her," Ginny said, squeezing his hand.

Harry nodded. "I reckon you're right."

….

Later on that evening, Harry stood outside of Lily's door. He reached out and knocked. "Lily?" he called. "Sweetheart, can I come in?"

"Yes," he heard her call softly from inside.

Harry opened up the door and found Lily laying on her bed. Her cheeks were tearstained, and she was still sniffing as Harry sat down next to her.

"Sorry," Lily muttered, looking down at her lap. "For shouting at you at dinner."

"You have nothing to be sorry for," Harry told her.

"Oh," Lily mumbled.

"Lily, I-I don't want you to be afraid when I leave for work," Harry started. "You shouldn't be worrying about such things at your age."

"But you _could_ die, couldn't you?" Lily asked, looking up at him. "Aurors die sometimes when they go on missions, don't they?"

"I-Well-It can happen," Harry said carefully. "Sometimes things happen and-and there's nothing anybody can do. But the Aurors that go out on missions are highly trained to handle the dangerous situations they're put in. And when we're out there, we take every precaution necessary to stay as safe as possible."

"But you _could_ die," Lily said shakily.

"Don't think about that, Lily," Harry said firmly.

"But what if you _do_?" Lily asked, more tears falling from her eyes. "Don't you care?"

Harry put his arm around her. "Of course I care," he told her. "During every mission I go on, you and your brothers and your mum are all I think about. Wanting to come home to be with you is what helps me get through them."

"If you want to be home with us so badly, why do you have to leave at all?" Lily pointed out.

Harry wiped a stray tear from her cheek.

"Lily…I want you to understand something, sweetheart," he told her gently. "My job is dangerous, yes. But I will always do everything I can to make sure that I come home to you once it's all over. I'm not as reckless as I once was…believe me, I'm much more careful now. Because-Because I know how it is to lose a parent, and I'd like to make sure that you don't have to experience that for a very, _very_ long time. _But_ part of being a parent means making sure that I can keep you all safe. I know you don't understand now, but the world…it can be a Dark place, Lily. It once was…I've seen just what can happen if we stand by and let that Darkness take over. And I will do whatever it takes to make sure that you all never have to see that kind of a world, because I _love_ you. I want to protect you from all of that. _That's_ why I'm an Auror. _That's_ why I go on these missions."

Lily didn't respond.

"I know it's scary for you when I go on my missions," Harry continued. "Not knowing where I am or being able to talk to me or send me owls…So your mum and I talked and we decided that you can hold on to this."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a gold galleon and handed it to her.

"A galleon?" Lily frowned, confused.

"It's not a real galleon, so don't go trying to spend it," Harry smiled. He reached into his pocket and pulled out another galleon.

"Normally, when I go on missions, I use these to let your mum know that I'm alright," Harry told her.

"How?" Lily asked.

Harry pulled out his wand and pointed it at the coin in his hand. Lily gasped as her own coin grew warm, and the letters on the edge of the coin began to rearrange so that they now spelled _Lily._

"Your Aunt Hermione invented these back when we were in school," Harry told her. "Now listen. I promise that every single night that I'm away, I'll send you a message using these galleons to let you know that I'm okay."

"You will?" Lily said, looking up at her father.

"Yes," Harry nodded. "Does that sound okay to you?"

Lily nodded at once.

"Come here," Harry said, pulling her closer to him and kissing the top of her head. "I love you, Lil Bud."

"I love you too, daddy," Lily said, hugging him back.


	84. Chapter 84

"Well, I reckon our plan worked," Ginny said happily, settling in next to Harry on the couch of the Burrow as she showed him copies of the _Evening Prophet_ and _Witch Weekly_. "The _Prophet_ ran an article saying our wedding is likely to be in Scotland next month, and this rag is saying we've already gone and eloped because I'm currently five-months pregnant with our love-child."

"So hopefully no uninvited guests show up to the wedding tomorrow then," Harry smiled, putting his arm around her.

"I've been practicing my Bat Boogey Hex in case they do," Ginny told him.

"Good thinking," Harry laughed. He leaned over and kissed Ginny's cheek. "Have I mentioned I love you recently?"

"You may have thrown it into your proposal six months ago," Ginny said. "And a few times a day since then."

She leaned over and pressed her lips to his. "Think that will feel any different once we're husband and wife?"

"Dunno," Harry grinned. "Can't really imagine it getting any better."

"Would you two save it for the wedding tomorrow?" Ron asked, coming into the room.

"What do you want?" Ginny snapped. "We were busy."

"Mum wants you to go upstairs and try on you dress one last time," Ron told her.

"Fine," Ginny sighed.

"Oh, and Hermione wanted me to tell you that our guest bedroom is ready for you tonight," Ron added. "You can come over whenever you like."

"Guest bedroom?" Ginny frowned. "What are you talking about? Why would I stay at your place tonight?"

"The bride and groom can't spend the night before the wedding together," Ron pointed out. "Everyone knows that. Hermione and I didn't, remember? It's a tradition."

"Well we don't care about tradition," Ginny said.

"That's right," Harry said.

"Fine, if you think that will fly," Ron scoffed.

"What do you mean if-"

"Ron, I thought you were fetching Ginny," Molly said, coming downstairs. "Oh, there you are, dear."

"Ginny and Harry were just telling me that they won't be spending the night of their wedding apart," Ron grinned as Harry and Ginny glared at him.

"What? Of course they will," Molly said. "It's tradition."

"Mum, we don't care about tradition," Ginny said, rolling her eyes. "We've lived together for the past two years."

"That hardly matters," Molly scoffed. "This is the eve of your wedding night. It's a special occasion. Now, I gave the same lecture to Bill and Fleur, and Ron and Hermione as well. This-"

"Er, Gin, maybe it won't be so bad," Harry cut in.

"You're kicking me out of our flat?" Ginny frowned.

"No," Harry said at once. "But, well, it _is_ tradition. Besides, Hagrid and Neville will be arriving tonight to stay at our place, and I know Fleur has already said she'll need to start helping you get ready at the crack of dawn, so it may be easier for you to stay with Ron and Hermione."

"Thank you, Harry," Molly beamed.

"Fine, alright," Ginny conceded. "I'll be by your place later tonight, Ron."

"Wonderful," Molly said. "Now then, Ron, you go finish degnoming the yard. And check to see if Charlie and your father have got that tent up yet. Ginny, your dress please. I'll be up in a moment; I just need to check on the appetizers in the kitchen."

"What would you like me to do?" Harry asked.

"Oh don't you worry, you just focus on getting ready for your Big Day tomorrow," Molly told him, patting his cheek affectionately before turning and going into the kitchen.

"You just want to be on mum's good side, don't you?" Ginny said to Harry knowingly as Ron headed back out to the yard.

"Well it's important that she likes me, isn't it? Seeing as I'm about to be her son-in-law," Harry pointed out.

"Harry, for Merlin's sake, mum has _adored_ you since the second she met you your first time on Platform nine-and-three-quarters," Ginny laughed. "There's really not much you could do to make her _not_ like you."

She put her arms back around Harry. "Still, I suppose one night apart before the wedding won't be the end of the world. It will make _tomorrow_ night more special."

Harry smiled, leaning up to give her a quick kiss. "Hey, you know? That first time one the platform was also the first time I met _you_."

"Was it?" Ginny said simply. "I hardly noticed you."

"Weren't you begging your mum to let you onto the train to see me?" Harry grinned.

Ginny swatted his shoulder. "I was _not_!"

"Sure," Harry said, rolling his eyes. "If you say so, love."


	85. Chapter 85

Gran says she's going to make a cake today," Teddy told Harry, as the two sat in the Potter's living room, playing chess. "So could you not mention that we went out to ice cream to her?"

"You know I don't like keeping secrets from your grandmother," Harry said, taking Teddy's pawn. "But seeing as it's _my_ head she'll have…I suppose I can forget to mention it."

"You're the best, Harry," Teddy grinned. "Ha! Check mate! I win _again_."

"You should play Ron sometime," Harry said. "Maybe you can take him down." He looked at his watch. "Alright, I should get you back over to your grandmother's. Go grab your bags."

"Alright," Teddy nodded, turning and hurrying down the steps, just as Albus and James came into the room.

"Daddy, can we go to the park with Teddy?" three-year old James asked.

"Swings!" Albus added excitedly.

"I'll take you two the park in a bit," Harry smiled. "But I'm just about to bring Teddy back over to his grandmothers. He'll be staying over again in a few nights, though."

"He's leaving?" James moaned. "How come? He just got here!"

"He's stayed over for the past three nights," Harry said. "His grandmother misses him."

"She can come visit," James shrugged.

"Are you bringing Teddy back to Andy's?" Ginny asked, walking into the room, her hands resting on the swell of her abdomen.

"Yes, he's getting his bags now, and then the boys want me to take them to the park," Harry told her. "That will give you a bit of time to rest."

"Good," Ginny said gratefully. "Because your daughter has been treating my body like her own personal jungle gym. She can't stay still for more than two seconds."

"Okay, I'm ready to go," Teddy said, returning downstairs with his bag.

"Bye, love," Ginny said, leaning down to kiss the top of his bright blue hair. "See you soon."

"Bye Ginny," Teddy said. "And bye Lily! If she comes before I'm here again, you have to get me, okay?"

"Course," Ginny promised.

"Teddy, how come you have to go?" James asked the older boy. "We were going to go to the park."

"I'll be back on Saturday, we can do something then," Teddy said, hugging Albus and rustling James' hair. He stepped over to Harry and took his hand. With a loud pop, the two disappa rated from the Potter's living room.

"No fair, I need someone to play with," James said, crossing his arms.

"Play with Albus," Ginny told him.

"Albus is a _baby_ ," James pointed out.

"No baby! Big boy!" the two-year old pouted indignantly.

"I know you miss Teddy, but you'll see him again very soon," Ginny promised. "I think he'll be at your grandparent's house tomorrow for dinner with his grandmother."

"I guess," James sighed sadly.

…

"I think those are the ones you wanted," Harry said, handing Ginny a bag later that evening. "If they aren't, I can go back out."

"No, these are fine," Ginny smiled, taking out a bar of chocolate. "Thank you. Listen, I know you already took the boys for the afternoon, but would you mind if I just went up and turned in for the night? I think Lily's finally asleep in there, and I'd like to take advantage of that time."

"Go ahead," Harry said, leaning down to give her a kiss. "It's nearly their bedtime anyway. They're tired from the park so that should be no problem."

"You're a Godsend, you know," Ginny said, kissing him back. "It almost makes me sad I've only got a few weeks left of this."

"Does it?" Harry grinned knowingly.

"Mmmm, perhaps that's a bit of an overstatement," Ginny said. "But you really know how to make a pregnancy bearable. Night, Harry."

"Night," Harry said as Ginny started up the steps. He headed into the living room, where Albus and James were coloring at the coffee table.

"Dragon!" Albus said proudly, handing it to Harry. "For Haggy!"

"Oh, you want me to send this to Hagrid?" Harry said scooping his youngest son into his arms. "I'll do that first thing in the morning. He'll love it. What did you draw, James?"

James held up a figure with a mop of blue hair. "It's Teddy."

"Impressive," Harry said. "Are you going to show it to him when he comes around next weekend?"

James nodded. "Dad, how come Teddy can't live with us? For good?"

"That wouldn't be fair to his grandmother," Harry said. "She loves Teddy."

"So do we," James said. "Hey dad, is Teddy my brother?"

"He's your godbrother," Harry told him as Albus continued to color.

"Is Albus my godbrother?"

"No, Albus is your _brother_ ," Harry said.  
"What's the difference?" James asked.

"Well, Albus is your brother because you and him have the same parents," Harry explained. "That's why Lily will be your sister. Teddy's your godbrother because he's my godson. See, a godson is a son who I'm not related to by blood."

"What?" James frowned, confused.

"Er, see, you know how your mum is growing Lily inside of her right now?" Harry said.

"Yes," James nodded.

"Well she did the same thing with you and Albus," Harry told him. "So you three are our children by blood. We're your parents."

"Aren't you Teddy's parents too, though?" James pointed out.

"No," Harry said gently. "That's why Teddy lives with his grandmother, James. Teddy's parents died when he was younger. Even younger than Albus."

"Like your parents?" James asked.

"Yes," Harry nodded. "Before his parents died, though, they made me Teddy's godfather. If anything happened to them, they wanted me to be there for Teddy as much as possible. So I am. Even though Teddy's not my child by blood, I still think of him as one. Even though he's not your brother by blood, you still think of him as one too, don't you?"

"Uh-huh," James nodded at once.

"Exactly," Harry smiled.

"I still wish he lived here," James said. "It's boring here without him. Albus is too little to anything fun."

"I fun!" Albus said, looking up from his picture.

"Course you are," Harry grinned. He looked up at James. "Give Al another few months and he'll be able to keep up with you better. And you're getting a baby sister soon too. Give it time and you'll be _begging_ for a boring house again."

"No I won't," James said.

"Trust me," Harry said. "You will."


	86. Chapter 86

"-And then Beeker the Seeker learned that it's not always about winning the game," Harry read, flipping the page in the picture book. "But about playing well together as a team. The end. Alright, James, that's the fifth time I read you that book. Now I mean it, you need to-"

His sentence fell short as he glanced up at his six-year old son, who was now peacefully asleep in his bed.

"Only took an hour," Harry chuckled to himself as he pulled James' covers up over his body. "Personal record." He kissed his son on top of his head and then quietly snuck out of the bedroom. He quickly stepped across the hall to check if Albus was still asleep, and then did the same thing with Lily. Once it was confirmed that all three of the Potter children were in fact asleep, Harry let out a soft cheer to himself as he ran back down to the living room, where Ginny was sitting, scribbling on a notepad.

"Kids are all asleep," Harry said happily, sitting down next to her. "Had to read that bloody Beeker the Seeker book to James a hundred times, but he's out. All of them are."

"I have to say, I'm not a fan of Beeker the Seeker," Ginny said simply. "He always says winning isn't the point of Quidditch…if that's not the point then what in the world is?"

"Dunno," Harry said dismissively. "But I _do_ know that you said if I got all three kids to bed by myself tonight, you and _I_ could go on up to bed as soon as I finished."

"You're that tired already?" Ginny said, giving her husband a small smile. "It's only half-past nine."

"You know perfectly well we won't be doing any sleeping for a while," Harry grinned, putting his arms around her.

"Well then whatever will we be doing?" Ginny asked, amused.

"I can give you a preview if you insist," Harry replied smoothly, pulling Ginny into his lap and kissing her passionately on the lips. Ginny let out a squeal of laughter, tossing her notepad aside as she wrapped her arms around her husband's neck.

Suddenly, though, the couple was broken apart by the sound of a loud popping sound from the kitchen. The two pulled apart from one another just as Ron walked into the living room.

"Oh good, you two aren't doing anything," Ron said, clearly oblivious to what he had just interrupted.

"We were," Harry said at once. "So if you don't mind…go."

"But it's an emergency!" Ron defended.

"Emergency?" Ginny repeated, looking concerned. "Are Hermione and the kids okay?"

"Hmm? Oh yeah, they're fine," Ron said.

"Not an emergency then," Harry said. "So as we said, we _were_ in the middle of something so-"

"Hermione needs me to do something for her parents," Ron cut him off. "And I told her I sort of already had it figured out, but I didn't, hence…emergency."

"Well why does _our_ evening need to be ruined just because _you_ didn't do whatever it was that you were supposed to do?" Ginny pointed out.

"Oh please, what plans did you two have?" Ron scoffed. "You have three kids under the age of seven. You were probably going to clean vomit off of something and then go to sleep. Anyway, I need help with this muggle technology thing."

He reached into his bag and pulled out a small, rectangular box. "See, last week Hermione's dad locked his keys inside the house when he went on his morning walk, and couldn't get back inside. He wanted to have either me or Hermione come over and unlock the door by magic for him, but he didn't have a way to contact us."

"Don't you have a muggle telephone in your home?" Ginny pointed out. "Couldn't he have called that."

"I was at the shop, and Hermione was at the Ministry," Ron explained. "No one would have been there to pick up. Anyway, he had to sit in the cold for almost three hours before one of the neighbors came by and let him sit at their house until Hermione's mum could come by with her key."

"Poor thing," Ginny said. "Was he alright?"

"Yeah, once he got some hot tea in him, he was fine, according to Hermione," Ron said. "But now Hermione's worried about the next time something like that comes up where her parents need to contact one of us right away. And I mean she's _really_ worried. I see her point; they're a fair bit older than mum and dad, she's their only kid, so it's not like they have anyone else to call when they need things…"

"But what's that got to do with technology?" Ginny frowned.

"She wants them to be able to call one of us at any time in case they need something," Ron said. "And like I said, if no one's home to answer that phone, it's useless. So, she went out and got me this. She said it's called a mobile. It's like a phone you can put in your pocket and take anywhere with you. It doesn't need one of those cords or anything!"

"That looks nothing like a phone," Ginny said, examining the package. "There are no buttons! Just a big screen."

"Hermione says that's how phones are now," Ron said. "Apparently our model is a bit outdated."

"Do we have these?" Ginny asked Harry.

"No," Harry said. "You can hardly work the phone we have now. Why would we buy a more complicated one?"

"Muggle devices don't work well in the Ministry," Ron said. "But strangely enough they work perfectly in Diagon Ally. So I'm supposed to keep this on me at all times in case one of them need anything. Anyway, Hermione was really upset by the whole thing with her dad, and she's been stressed with all the work she's been doing at the Ministry, so I told her not to worry about this and that I'd set it up. But um…I can't. I've been trying for the past six hours and I can't even turn the damn thing on! And Hermione will be at work all day tomorrow, so I'll need it working by then so, Harry, I really need you. You've got to help me figure this out."

Harry let out a groan. "Oh alright. Hopefully this doesn't take more than an hour."

"Well, I'll be of no use with that thing," Ginny said, getting to her feet. "I'm going upstairs to take a shower. Don't be too long, Harry."

"You're a lifesaver, Harry," Ron said, taking Ginny's seat as she headed up the steps. "You're really-ow!"

"You just _had_ to let this go until the last minute, didn't you," Harry said darkly as Ron massaged his shoulder.

"Why's it matter to you?"

"Never mind," Harry sighed. "Let's just hurry up and do this. Give it here."

"Have you ever used one of these before?" Ron asked as Harry took the phone.

"No, but I've fiddled around with them at the store a few times," Harry said. "And Dudley has one like this that I've seen him use. They're actually quite neat. They have all sorts of games you can play on them now."

"I thought the computer was for games," Ron said.

"These phones sort of combine a phone and a computer," Harry explained as the screen of the phone suddenly lit up. "Alright, see this round button at the bottom here? That's the power button."

"Got it," Ron nodded. He looked back into the box. "Ah-ha! I did find the wire!"

"That's a charger," Harry said, taking it from him.

"A what?"

"Well the phone runs on battery," Harry said.

"Oh, those round things dad has in his shed!"

"Kind of," Harry said. "You don't have to change this battery. When it runs out, you plug the charger into a plug with _this_ end, and then attach the phone to it on this end. When it's charged you unplug it and you can take the phone wherever you want again."

"Why don't they just use batteries that don't ever run out?" Ron asked.

"Because those haven't been made yet," Harry said quickly. "Now shut it and listen, will you?"

"What's your rush?" Ron frowned.

"Alright, so it _looks_ like your mobile service was set up already when Hermione bought the phone…" Harry said. "Ah yes, I can see the bars."

"Bars? Those places muggles go to drink?"

"No, they-never mind," Harry said. "It will take the rest of evening to explain mobile companies to you. Did Hermione write down her parents' phone numbers for you?"

"Um…yes, here," Ron said, handing him a slip of paper.

"Pay attention," Harry said. "Whenever you want to call either of her parents, you're going to touch this square right here. The one labeled "contacts". Then you-"

"Hold on, what do you mean "touch"?" Ron asked. "There are no buttons!"

"It's touchscreen," Harry sighed. He tapped the screen, causing the contact list to pop up. "See?"

"Whoa!" Ron gasped. "How did it do that?"

"You see this?" Harry snapped, holding up the pamphlet that had come with the phone. "You can read this later and learn all about how the bloody thing works. At your own house! Anyway, as I was saying, once you've touched the contact square, you're going to see her parents' names. I've just put them in there for you."

"What does that-"

"Don't worry about it," Harry said quickly. "All you do is touch the name of whichever one you want to call. The phone will automatically dial that number, so all you have to do is put the phone to your ear, and it'll work just like your old phone. Once you're done talking, push that red button on the screen and you're done."

"Huh…" Ron said, impressed. "You know, I've got to say, wizards could learn a thing or two about communication from these. Imagine if I could send messages with this thing instead of writing letters! You know how quick and efficient that would be?"

"Er, we'll talk about that later," Harry said. "Alright, now if one of them call you, you'll hear the phone ring in your pocket. A green button will appear on the screen. You tap that button, and that's how you pick up the phone. Now that's everything you should need to know to get you through tomorrow. So if you could just-"

"What about all these other square things?" Ron asked, looking down at the phone. "There's a whole bunch of them besides "contacts"."

"Those are just some games," Harry said. "The phone came loaded with them already, I guess."

"Well let's try them out!"

"But-Later!" Harry said. "Not now!"

"Why does this one have a picture of candy on it?" Ron frowned. "What kind of game would that be? And what's this one…hey! Look! It's a movie! Harry, this thing can play movies too?"

"Yes, it can play movies, videos, music…everything," Harry said.

"You mean I can watch movies anywhere I like?" Ron said, his eyes growing wide. "At work…at the park…in the loo?"

"A lovely image," Harry said, rolling his eyes. "But yes. And if you come by _tomorrow,_ I promise, we can spend the whole night downloading apps and games and-"

"Apps?" Ron repeated. "Downloading? What's-"

" _Tomorrow_ ," Harry said firmly. "Ron…I'm begging you, go home. _Please_."

"Why are you anxious to get rid of me?" Ron frowned.

"Trust me, you don't want to know," Harry sighed.

"Fine," Ron said, taking the phone. "Well, thanks for the help. Even if you _are_ shoving me out now."

"Sorry, but…just come by tomorrow," Harry said. "There's a ton of cool things you can do with that phone. Now's just not the best time."

"Alright," Ron agreed. "I'll come by once I leave the shop."  
"Brilliant," Harry said. "Night Ron."

"Night," Ron said, disapparating from the room with a loud crack.

Harry spun around and raced up the steps and into his and Ginny's bedroom, just as Ginny was stepping out of the bathroom, running a towel from his hair.

"Is he gone?" Ginny asked.

"Yes," Harry said, taking Ginny's hands and pulling her closer to him. "Now let's hope we can get through the rest of the night without any more interruptions."

"Let's," Ginny smiled, standing on her toes to kiss Harry.


	87. Chapter 87

"It will be weird, won't it?" Ron said, buttering a piece of toast.

"Probably," Harry agreed. "I've never gone to the Platform without getting onto the train."

"I've done it loads of times," Ron said. "Every year since Bill left for school. But back then I got to look forward to the day that I'd be going. Knowing that now I'll _never_ be getting on again…"

"You know you could still go, if you want," Harry said. "Kingsley wouldn't mind if you withdrew from Auror training. And you know McGonagall wouldn't give you any trouble."

"No," Ron said, cracking a small smile. "After a year of being on the run chasing down Horcruxes, I don't think I'd know what to do with myself being back in a classroom. The structure and security would drive me mad. But…if I could just go for Hermione…then I'd be on that train in a second. But in the meantime, I suppose we'll have to just get by with letters. Oh, and we can go up during Hogsmeade weekends, of course."

"Ginny said she'll send me the dates as soon as she gets them," Harry said. "I think I may try to see if I can go to a Quidditch match or two. Did she tell you she was made Captain?"

" _You_ haven't shut up about it," Ron smirked.

"Speaking of Ginny, we should probably head over to the Burrow now," Harry said, looking at the watch. "She'll be needing to leave for King's Cross any moment now."

"Not for another two hours," Ron pointed out.

"Hmm? Oh, well, I think I might still head over now," Harry said, clearing his throat. "See if she needs any help packing…"

Ron shook his head in disgust. "Packing…right. Well, while you're over there, tell everyone I'll be meeting them on the Platform. I'm about to head over to Hermione's parents. I'm going to ride over with them in their car."

"Alright," Harry said, finishing off the last of his breakfast. "See you in a bit then."

…

"We should go downstairs," Harry said to Ginny as she kissed the nape of his neck. "Your mum said we need to leave in ten minutes…"

"You sure you prefer being an Auror to being back at Hogwarts with me?" Ginny sighed.

"I'd prefer to be with you," Harry told her, brushing a strand of hair from her eyes. "But-"

"I was only kidding," Ginny told him, giving him a small smile. "If I were you I'd have chosen to go into Auror training too. Still…you better find time in that busy schedule to write me, or I may just send a Howler."

"I'll write you every day if you like," Harry grinned.

"Your poor owl would be exhausted," Ginny laughed. She rested her head on his shoulder. "I've never known Hogwarts without you, you know. Well, except for last year, I suppose, but that was different."

"Well, to be fair, the two of us didn't talk much your first few years," Harry reminded her.

"Can't believe I used to have such a crush on you," Ginny said, rolling her eyes. "How pathetic…"

"Don't you still fancy me now?" Harry asked playfully.

"Hmm, a bit, I suppose," Ginny said, leaning up to give him another kiss. "I'll really miss you, Harry."

"I'm going miss you like mad as well," Harry said. "But, once this year is over…we can be together again. Properly. And we'll be able to see each other during the holidays, after all."

"Ginny! Harry! We need to leave for the station!" Mrs. Weasley called up the steps.

"I'll get your trunk," Harry said, getting to his feet.

"Always the gentleman," Ginny smirked.

Harry gripped Ginny's hand, giving her one last kiss. "It's going to be fine," he told her. "I daresay Hogwarts will be far more peaceful without me there."

"You're probably right about that," Ginny grinned.

…

"So once again, I see you'll be bringing your own personal library with you," Ron said, looking into Hermione's trunk as she finished packing a few last-minute items. "Honestly, how many books do you own?"

"Well without you and Harry there to distract me, I'll have much more time on my hands to get some reading done," Hermione said, tossing a few pairs of socks into the trunk. "Alright…I think that's it."

"So it'll just be you, Luna, and Ginny then, right?" Ron asked.

"And Neville," Hermione said. "He decided to come back for his last year as well. I think Ginny and I will be the only ones in our dormitory. Pavarti isn't coming back, and well…Lavender…"

She looked down at the floor, clearing her throat. Ron stepped over and wrapped his arms around her. "Were you two close when you shared a dorm?" he asked. "I-I never really knew how you got along with those two when you were up there."

"Pavarti and Lavender were always friendly to me," Hermione said. "We'd have a few nice chats here and there. Well, until our sixth year…then Lavender and I didn't talk so much anymore…"

"Right," Ron said awkwardly. "Well…you-you'll have that Romilda girl with you as well, won't you? She's in Ginny's year."

"The girl who was madly in love with Harry?" Hermione said. "Oh, that's right. Wonder how she'll take it once she finds that he is with Ginny now. I hope she doesn't try to curse her or something."

"Ginny would destroy her in about two minutes, and you'd get a brilliant show out of it," Ron said, offering a small smile.

"That's true," Hermione chuckled. She stepped closer to Ron. "I do wish you were coming with me. But I know you'll make a wonderful Auror, Ron."

"We'll see," Ron shrugged. "And hey, like you said, without me there you won't be distracted. You managed nearly perfect O.W.L. scores in our fifth year _with_ Harry and I running around, and all of that other stuff going on. Imagine how you'll score on your N.E.W.T.S. without the two of us there _and_ without any Dark Arts popping up that need to be attended to. They'll have to make a new scoring system for you."

"I think I'd like it if you were there to distract me a bit," Hermione said, giving him a shy smile.

"First Hogsmeade weekend, I'll distract you plenty to make up for lost time," Ron promised, wrapping his arms around her. He leaned down and kissed her. "Next year, once you graduate Hogwarts, we'll get a chance to be a real couple."

"I can't wait," Hermione smiled.

….

"You have everything?" Molly said to Ginny at the platform as she straightened her jacket. "Books, robes, quills, socks-"

"Yes, mum," Ginny said. "I've got it all."

"Write as soon as you get there," Molly said, hugging her daughter.

"Have a good term, sweetheart," Arthur said. "It's your last year at school…it's really an exciting time."

"Thanks," Ginny said, smiling up at her parents.

"Where is your brother and Hermione?" Molly frowned, looking around the busy platform.

"I think I see them coming now," Harry said, craning his neck to see over the crowd. "Yes! They're coming our way."

"Hello," Hermione said to the group as her and Ron approached the group. "The station is packed today; there isn't any parking at all. I had to say goodbye to my parents in the lot. I take it you apparated here?"

"Yes, dear, we did," Molly said, kissing Hermione's cheek. "How are you? You're ready for term, I trust?"

"Course she is, mum," Ron said.

"Any plans on what you'll be doing with all the peace and quiet you'll be bound to have without Ron and I there?" Harry grinned.

"I was thinking I'd finally have time to give S.P.E.W. the attention it deserves," Hermione said happily.

"S.P.E.W.?" Arthur said curiously.

"Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare," Ron explained at once. "Harry and I are members as well."

"We should probably start getting onto the train, Hermione," Ginny said. "It's nearly eleven."

"Oh, yes, you're right," Hermione sighed.

"Safe travels, both of you," Molly said, giving each girl one last fleeting hug.

"Try and stay out of mischief, yes?" Arthur said, winking.

"We'll do our best, dad," Ginny smiled.

"Well, Arthur, we best be off then," Molly said. "We've got lots to do at home."

"Aren't we going to see the train-oh," Arthur said as Molly looked back and forth between the four teens pointedly. He cleared his throat. "Yes, loads to do. Take care, everyone."

"Well," Hermione said as Molly and Arthur disapparated from the platform. She turned to Harry. "Try not to get yourself into too much trouble during your Auror training."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Harry chuckled, giving her a hug. "Have a good term, Hermione."

"You better write," Hermione warned.

"Course I will," Harry assured her.

"Do the Weasley name proud at Quidditch captain, will you?" Ron said to his sister, giving her a hug as well. "Still can't believe you got that spot…sneaking out to use my broom when we were kids…well, at least it paid off, I suppose. And hey, who knows, maybe you'll wind up being recruited to a professional team. Cannons have their eyes out for new Chasers."

"The day I play for the Cannons will be the day Charlie trades in his Dragon-Hide gloves for a desk job," Ginny smirked. "But keep your wits about you as an Auror, will you?"

"Yeah, yeah," Ron said, rolling his eyes.

"Oh, we've only got two minutes," Hermione said, looking at her watch.

Ginny looked up at Harry, who gave her a sad smile. He took her hands and gently pulled her a few feet away as Ron and Hermione prepared to say their own goodbye.

"Just…well, bye then," Ginny whispered. She stood on her toes and kissed Harry, trying to savor the moment for as long as possible. "I love you."

"I love you too," Harry whispered back to her, holding her close to him.

Just then the train whistle sounded loudly, and the last of the students who were still loitering on the platform made a dash to get onto the train.

"Go on, don't miss the train on my behalf," Harry said to Ginny.

"Couldn't I just charm a car to fly me to Hogwarts?" Ginny smirked. "I suspect I'm skilled enough not to land it in a tree."

"Ron was driving it when that happened," Harry pointed out.

"If you say so," Ginny said, giving him one last kiss. "Bye, Harry. I'll see you soon."


	88. Chapter 88

"Alright, it's too quiet," Ron announced, tossing aside the copy of the _Daily Prophet_ he had been reading.

"Is that a bad thing?" Hermione frowned, looking up from her own book.

"With three Potters spending the weekend here? Yes," Ron said at once. "You're telling me the house being this quiet with five kids in it doesn't freak you out?"

"Well James is off at George's house, with Fred and Louis," Hermione reminded him. "Albus and Rose are down by the pond trying to catch fish, and Lily and Hugo are upstairs playing together."

"Those two are the ones to watch," Ron pointed out, getting to his feet. "I'm going to go check on them."

"By all means…" Hermione said, amused.

Ron headed up to Hugo's room, where the bedroom door was open. He stepped inside and saw the two children laying on their stomachs, staring intently at a chessboard in between them.

"I'll move the pony over here," Lily said, moving her knight all across the chess board. "I think he wants to be next to your pony."

"I want my castle to go on this side now," Hugo said happily, sliding his rook diagonally across the board.

"What are you two up to?" Ron smirked.

"Playing chess!" Hugo replied. "Like you always do!"

"Since when do either of you know how to play chess?" Ron asked.

"We made our own rules," Lily explained.

"Uh-huh…" Ron chuckled. "Well, if you two like, I can teach you the _real_ rules to chess. I'm something of a chess expert, you know."  
"My daddy says you cheat," Lily told him.

"Lily, your dad is a brilliant wizard, but he's one of the worst chess players I've seen in my life," Ron said. "Nobody would need to cheat to beat him."  
Lily giggled.

"You'll really show us, dad?" Hugo asked excitedly.

"Sure, I was around your age when I learned to play," Ron said, sitting down with the children. "Alright, first thing: each piece can move only in certain directions."

"How come?" Lily frowned.

"Those are the rules," Ron replied simply.

"How come?"

"Er, they just are," Ron said. "Anyway, these horses here, they're called _Knights_ , and they can only move in 'L' shapes. Like this. They are also the only pieces that can jump over other pieces."

"Cool," Hugo said, hanging onto Ron's every word.

"Now these are bishops," Ron said. "They only move diagonally…like this."

"Whoa…" Hugo said, fascinated.

"Uncle Ron?" Lily said. "Could I go outside to play with Albus and Rose?"

"You don't want to learn how to play chess?" Ron asked.

"No, thank you," Lily said politely. "No offense or anything, but the rules make the game seem boring."

"Er, alright then," Ron said. "Just tell your Aunt Hermione where you're going."

"What about these pieces, dad?" Hugo asked, holding up the rooks.

"Those can move either up or down, or sideways, in a straight line," Ron explained. "Whichever way would help you the most. Now these small ones here are pawns. They're normally sacrificed pretty quickly, but sometimes they can wind up being useful. They move one space in front of them _unless_ they're capturing another piece, then they can only move diagonally. The Queen…well, this piece can do pretty much anything. It can go forwards, backwards sideways, diagonal. Now, the whole point of chess if for you to use your pieces to protect you King, and try to capture the other player's King."

"Wicked," Hugo breathed, fascinated.

"Yeah, it's a pretty fun game," Ron said, proud to see his son so entranced by the game. "Course it takes a lot of wit to play properly. You need to really think about each move you make, and try to see if you can figure out what the other player will do so you can prepare for it."

"Is mummy good at chess?" Hugo asked.

"Er, mummy is incredibly smart, but chess is the one area she's not so sharp in," Ron smiled.

"But _you're_ good, right dad?" Hugo asked.

"Well I _have_ managed to win over two thousand games in my life so far," Ron said, trying to sound modest. "I started keeping track when I was younger."

"Think _I_ could win that many games?" Hugo asked.

"Sure," Ron said at once. "Who knows, maybe you'll even beat _me_ in a game someday. In several years, of course. Would you like to play a match? You know, using the _real_ rules?"

"Yes!" Hugo said excitedly.

"What are you two up to in here?"

Ron and Hugo turned to see Hermione standing at the doorway.

"Dad taught me how to play chess, mummy!" Hugo said. "We're going to play now! Using the _real_ rules!"

"Oh?" Hermione smiled. "So do we have another chess fanatic in the family?"

"Looks like it," Ron beamed as he set up the board. "Isn't it great?"

"You won't be saying that when he beats you," Hermione smirked.

"I think I can take a five-year old, Hermione," Ron said. "And fair warning, Hugo, I won't be letting you win. It won't do you any good."

"Alright," Hugo agreed.

"If you'd like to get an easy win under your belt now, though, you could always play your mum," Ron grinned. "Like I said…she's complete rubbish at chess."

Hermione simply raised an eyebrow as she crossed her arms. "I cannot _wait_ until the time comes when he finally beats you. Remind me to take a picture of your expression to frame…"


	89. Chapter 89

"Well, let's see if these bloody robes still fit," Ginny sighed, pulling her green Hollyhead Harpies robes out of her and Harry's closet.

"Why wouldn't they fit?" Harry frowned, looking up from the couple's bed, where he was currently feeding James' his evening bottle.

"Because I've must've gone up a full size since I had James," Ginny snapped.

"You're mad," Harry said. "You look exactly as you did before you got pregnant."

"You're my husband, you wouldn't say a word if I got to be the size of a hippogriff," Ginny smirked, looking over he shoulder as she pulled on the robes.

"You'd still be beautiful," Harry said at once, wiping a trail of dribble from James' mouth.

"Smooth," Ginny chuckled, fastening the front of her robes. "Well…they _are_ a bit tight, but hopefully once I start training again, they'll fit properly."

"You excited to get back to playing?" Harry asked as Ginny pulled her pajamas back on.

"Course," Ginny said. "As much as I've loved spending the last six months home with Jamie, I'm ready to get back to flying."

"Are you going to get to go right back to your starting spot?" Harry questioned as he burped James gently.

"Probably not for the next match," Ginny said. "They'll probably let my replacement play that game. Gwen said that if I do well in training, though, I should be set to play by the end of the month."

"You'll do brilliant in training," Harry told her as she sat down next to him on the bed. He looked down at his son, who was now sleeping in his arms. "And soon you'll get to see mummy as the Quidditch Star she is. Wonder if they sell any Harpies gear in his size…"

"I'll check tomorrow when I'm at the pitch," Ginny said, leaning down to kiss her son's head. "Anyway, you remember the plan for tomorrow, right? I have to be at training at six in the morning, so you'll have to drop James off with my parents before you go into work. Whichever one of us finishes for the day first will pick him up."

"Got it," Harry nodded. "Lucky your parents don't mind babysitting. Alright, I think he's out. I'm going to go put him into his cot."

"While you're up, would you mind getting me a snack from the kitchen?" Ginny asked.

"What do you want?"

"Oh…chocolate ice cream with crisps would be nice," Ginny said.

"So a bowl of each?" Harry asked.

"No, I'd like them mixed together, actually," Ginny replied. "And some jelly as well."

"That sounds disgusting," Harry cringed.

"Well I'll be sure not to share any with you," Ginny said simply.

"Deal," Harry chuckled, heading out of the bedroom.

….

"So we've decided we're going to find out," Ron told Harry the next evening, as the two of them, along with Hermione, sat in the Potter's living room.

"Yeah?" Harry grinned, taking a sip of his butterbeer. "Realized you can't wait?"

"No, we want to know what we're having," Hermione smiled, as Ron placed a hand on the small swell of her stomach affectionately. "I know we planned on it being a surprise, but…"  
"Gin and I did the same thing, remember?" Harry pointed out. "I get it. When do you find out?"

"At our appointment next week," Hermione replied.

"Hermione's convinced it's going to be a boy," Ron said. "But this is going to be one of the only times I prove her wrong."

"You think it's a girl?" Harry asked.

"Oh yeah," Ron nodded.

"Ron, how can you be so sure?" Hermione asked, amused.

"I just know," Ron shrugged.

"I'm the one carrying the baby," Hermione laughed. "If anybody should "just know", I'd think it'd be me."

"We'll just have to wait and see then, love," Ron said, kissing her temple, just as a loud cry sounded from James' playpen across the room.

"What is it, James?" Harry asked, jumping up and hurrying over to his son.

"Is he hungry?" Hermione asked.

"No, I fed him right before you two got here," Harry said, picking him up. "He's teething, so his gums are in a lot of pain. Hold on, James, I'll get you something."

"He's teething?" Ron repeated as Harry pulled out his wand, causing a cloth wrapped around ice to come soaring from the kitchen. "What the bloody hell does that mean?"

"Didn't you read those baby books I got us?" Hermione asked as James began to suck on the cloth.

" _Yes_ ," Ron defended. "And I know all about diapers and burpings and feedings. But it hasn't mentioned teething yet."

"His teeth are breaking through his gums," Harry told him.

"Ouch," Ron winced. "Poor guy."

"Ginny picked up a potion that's supposed to help with the pain," Harry said. "Don't know where she put it, though…"

"Where _is_ Ginny?" Hermione asked. "Her practices never used to go on this long. It's almost nine."

"I know, but I guess she had to fill out forms or run extra practices or something," Harry shrugged. "You know, since it's her first day back."

Just then, there was a loud, cracking sound from the front entranceway, and Ginny walked into the living room.

"Oh, hello you lot," Ginny said, looking over at Ron and Hermione.

"How was practice?" Harry asked.

"Fine," Ginny said shortly. "Um, Harry…do you think I could have a word with you in the other room?"

"Oh, don't worry, Ron and I were just about to go," Hermione said, as the couple got to their feet. "I have an early morning at the Ministry tomorrow."

"Feel better, James," Ron said, rustling the infant's hair. "Teething doesn't sound too pleasant."

"Gin, do you know where that potion for James' gums is?" Harry asked as Ron and Hermione disapperated.

"On the coffee table," Ginny said, somewhat distractedly.

"Hmm? I missed that?" Harry frowned, picking up the small bottle. "Blimey, I can't wait until James' is finally able to sleep through a night. Thought he had it a few weeks ago, but now with the teething…Anyway, what'd you want to talk about? Did something happen at practice?"

"Yes…" Ginny said slowly. "Harry, I-I've got some, er, _unexpected_ news…"

"What?" Harry frowned. "Is everything alright?"

"I-Harry, I'm pregnant," Ginny said, looking up at her husband.

Harry took a step back. "Um…what? I-Did-Sorry, could-could you repeat that?"

"I had to resubmit all my physicals," Ginny explained. "And when they took a sample of my blood, they told me that-that I'm pregnant. Again."

"You-I-Pregnant," Harry stammered, setting James back down in his playpen. "As in…pregnant?"

"Yes!" Ginny snapped. "Would you like me to write it down for you?"

"But…I don't understand," Harry said, looking as though he had been hit over the head with a Beater's club. "We-We've been using that potion thingy that's supposed to make sure that you _don't_ get pregnant."

"I know," Ginny moaned. "But…don't you remember a few weeks ago, when mum and dad offered to watch James for us so we could have an evening to ourselves? We drank all that wine and-and I think in all of that, I forgot to take that potion that night."

"Ah…" Harry said weakly. "Well…that's…er…well, this-okay, this is great! A new baby! James will love having a little brother or sister around here! And hey, this one will be right around the same age as Ron and Hermione's baby!"

"Do you know how hard it's going to be having two children so close in age?" Ginny frowned. "James won't even be out of diapers by the time this one comes along. And we're going to be so exhausted from getting up in the middle of the night that we'll have no energy left to handle the two of them in the day!"

"Ginny, we'll figure it out," Harry said, stepping over and putting his arms around her. "It will all be okay. This is _good_ news! We've always said we'd have another one after James-"

"Yes, I was thinking in six years or something!" Ginny exclaimed. "Not six _months_!"

"I-I know it wasn't the plan," Harry said. "But it's all going to work out still, Ginny. We have the spare bedroom we can use as a nursery, and it's not like we'll need to buy a lot of new baby things this time around. Plus I'm sure if we need your parents to help us out now and again, they'd be-"

"Yes, I _know_ we can handle another baby!" Ginny interrupted. "Sure, it will be tough, but we can manage."

"Er, exactly," Harry said, slightly confused. "So then why are you so-"

"I'm going to shower off," Ginny said, shaking her head as she turned towards the stairs, leaving Harry behind.

…

A short while later, Ginny sat on her and Harry's bed, a tear rolling down her cheek as she rested her hands on her still-flat stomach.

"Gin?"  
Ginny looked up and saw Harry standing at the doorway of the bedroom.

"I feel awful," Ginny sniffed, wiping her eye as Harry sat down at her side.

"I can go make you some of that nausea potion that seemed to work when you were pregnant with James," Harry offered.

"No," Ginny said, shaking her head. "Not awful like that. You were right downstairs…this-this is good news. We're going to have another child together. I should be celebrating right now! What kind of a mother am I?"

"You're a wonderful mother, Ginny," Harry said, squeezing her hand. "Listen…I-I didn't realize it earlier…this means you have to give up Quidditch again, doesn't it?"

"It's against league policy to have pregnant players in the air," Ginny nodded.

"I'm sorry," Harry said sincerely. "I know how much you were looking forward to being back."

"I was," Ginny said heavily. "But…still, I-I wouldn't give up having this baby just to be able to play. I _am_ happy about this, Harry. We'll probably be ripping our hair out taking care of two babies now, but, well, it will keep things interesting around here. Plus…it's our family…"

"We'll just have to start being more careful after this one comes," Harry smiled. "Once they come, you can focus on training again and-"

"Harry…" Ginny sighed. "I think my days of professional Quidditch are over."

"What? That's crazy," Harry said. "You can still play."

"I had to leave for over a year once I found out we were having James," Ginny said. "And getting back into shape after a year was going to be difficult. I-I don't see how I can do it after two years."

"You _can_ ," Harry insisted. "You just have to train hard like you always do and-"

"But Harry, I'm going to be worn out from handling two babies!" Ginny pointed out. "We can't hand off two babies to my parents every day. I won't even have enough energy to train like an amateur!"

Harry thought for a moment. "What if was the one to give up my job?" he asked.

"You'd give up being an Auror?" Ginny repeated. "Harry…I couldn't ask you to do that."

"Well why should you automatically have to give up your job?" Harry said.

"That's sweet," Ginny said. "And-And thank you, but even if you did give up your job so you could take care of the kids while I'm gone…you still can't carry this one for me for nine months can you. And then getting back into shape…"

"I just don't want you to give up your dream," Harry said. "Quidditch is like oxygen for you."

Ginny smiled. "Quidditch isn't the most important thing in the world, you know."

"I know," Harry agreed. "But-"

"I do wish I had gotten a few more years in of playing professionally before I had to stop," Ginny said. "But, well…things didn't work out that way. There's no use now of crying over what's already done. I got five years of playing time…that's more than some get."

"You-You sure you're alright?" Harry asked.

Ginny nodded. "How could I not be? We're going to have another baby! Oh, can you imagine James as an older brother?"

"I don't think James will understand that he's going to be a big brother for awhile," Harry chuckled.

"And you're right; this new baby will be only a few months younger than Ron and Hermione's baby," Ginny continued. "They'll be so close!"

"We're toilet training James as soon as possible," Harry smirked. "Two sets of diapers…not looking forward to _that_."

"Yes," Ginny agreed, laughing as she rested her head on Harry's shoulder. "Oh, by the way, I don't think I'll be giving up Quidditch completely."

"No?" Harry frowned. "But you just said-"

"I may not be able to play anymore, but I can still _watch_ matches," Ginny explained. "After I found out the news, Gwen told me that she had just gotten word that a spot has just recently opened up at the _Daily Prophet_ for a Quidditch reporter. She's already sent down a recommendation for me, and I'm supposed to go down tomorrow to formerly interview for the spot, but what do you think of me being a writer?"

"A writer?" Harry repeated. "Wow…that sounds great! Is this something you'd like to do, though?"

"I'd get to stay involved in Quidditch, and it'd be much easier for me to balance that with the kids," Ginny said. "There'd be some matches I'd have to go away for, of course, but-"

"Well that's fine, I can handle the kids on my own when that happens," Harry said at once.

"I'd also get free tickets to some of the matches," Ginny added. "Which means I now have the ability to make Ron do whatever I please; all I have to do is dangle Cannons tickets in front of him."

"Very true," Harry grinned. He leaned down and kissed her, resting his hand next to hers on her stomach. "Can't believe we're going to have two little ones running around her now."

"I know," Ginny said. "Good thing we're used to chaos."


	90. Chapter 90

"I'll do the cooking for the next week if you take on the yard," Harry said to Ginny as the couple sat on their sofa.

"Hmm, let me think," Ginny said. "So not only would I have to be outside chasing gnomes around in the blaring heat, but I'd have to come inside to your horrible cooking?"

"Your cooking is no better than mine," Harry pointed out. "How is it fair that I have to deal with _your_ cooking after I come in from working outside. Besides, I _always_ handle the yard."

"And you do such a brilliant job with it, love," Ginny said, flashing him a smile.

"Nice try," Harry smirked.

"Oh, alright," Ginny sighed. "I suppose I can de-gnome the yard. Let me just head out there and get-ah."

She clutched her side as she started to get up from her seat.

"Are you alright?" Harry asked, concerned.

"Yes," Ginny nodded. "But see, sometimes I still feel a bit sore from giving birth to your three children."

"You," Harry couldn't help but laugh. "Are full of it. It's been twelve years since you had Lily. Can't use that excuse anymore."

"Well when you go and push a person out of you, you can tell me how long it takes for the pain to ware away," Ginny said simply.

"I'm going to wind up de-gnoming the yard, no matter what, aren't I?" Harry sighed.

"I'll make it worth your while," Ginny said, craning her neck to kiss his temple.

"Yeah?" Harry smiled.

"Yes," Ginny nodded, moving to give him a lingering kiss on his lips. "Once you finish the yard, and you come back inside…I'll give you a nice, cold glass of lemonade to cool you off."

"Just lemonade?" Harry said, raising an eyebrow. "That's the only way you can think of to cool off?"

"Well…" Ginny said, giving him a seductive grin. "Considering James is over at Bill and Fleur's, and Al and Lily are over with Ron and Hermione, I suppose I can think of other ways to cool off while you're out there."

"Hmmm, well that's an offer I can't say no to," Harry chuckled, getting to his feet. "But next time, you're doing the yard for sure."

"Of course," Ginny said, kicking her feet up onto the coffee table. "Now get going."

Just then the Potter's fireplace suddenly began to glow green, and a second later George came tumbling out.

"What do you want?" Ginny asked her brother as he dusted soot off of his robes.

"Hello to you too, sis," George said. He turned to Harry. "Bucket of charm, isn't she?"

"She has her moments," Harry smiled.

"I'll take your word for it," George said, rolling his eyes playfully at his sister. "Anyway, I was finishing inventory at the shop and I saw that Fred left his backpack. Thought I'd bring it by for him."

"Why are you bringing it here?" Ginny frowned.

"What do you mean?" George asked.

"I mean James said him and Fred were spending the day with Louis at Shell Cottage," Ginny said. "You must've misheard Fred if he said he'd be here."  
"No…he definitely said he'd be here," George said slowly.

"Then I guess their plans changed, and they wound up at Bill and Fleur's," Harry shrugged.

"Oh, you two are naïve, bless your souls," George said, shaking his head.

"Excuse me?" Ginny said, crossing her arms.

"I guarantee you those three aren't at Shell Cottage," George said. "Let's see…James said he was there, Fred said he was here…Louis must've told Bill he'd be at my place."

"And why would they do that?" Harry asked, confused.

"Well perhaps they just wanted to play a riveting game of hide-and-seek with us," George said. " _Or_ , they're off doing something they're not supposed to."

"What? No, that's ridiculous," Ginny said, though looking less-than-convinced at her own words. "I'm sure they're at Bill and Fleur's."

"Care to bet gold on that?" George smirked, grabbing a handful of Floo Powder from the container on the mantle and tossing into the flames. He then stuck his head into the fireplace and loudly cried "Shell Cottage". A moment later, Bill's face appeared within the flames.

"Yes?" Bill said. "You lot need anything?"

"Hi there, Bill," George said pleasantly. "Harry and Ginny would just like to have a quick word with James. Can you send him down, please?"

"You send him down, seeing as he's at your place," Bill said. "Louis said they were all going to spend the day there."

"Damn," Ginny said, putting her hands on her hips.

"What?" Bill frowned.

"Well Bill, it appears our angelic children have duped us," George said. "They each fed us a false story about where they'd be."

"So they're off doing Merlin knows what?" Bill moaned.

"That would be right," George nodded.

"Of course," Bill sighed. "Alright, well, let me get Fleur. We'll come over and we can hopefully track them down."

"He's dead," Ginny said as Bill's face disappeared from the fire. "Oh, I can't _believe_ James! How _dare_ he sneak out like this?"

"I suppose I should get Angelina," George said. "She's better with the yelling. Be back in a sec."

"Er, Ginny?" Harry said, noticing his wife's face becoming as red as her hair. "Maybe you'd like to breathe and calm down a-"

"Don't tell me to calm down!" Ginny snapped. "That boy is out of control!"

"We'll deal with James," Harry assured her. "But you still need to-"

Just then there was a loud cracking sound, and Bill and Fleur appeared in the living room. Fleur was speaking to herself in rapid French, wearing an expression similar to Ginny's.

"Any idea where the three of them would have gone?" Bill asked Harry, clearly spotting Ginny's anger and deciding to stay clear of her.

"No clue," Harry said, running his fingers through his hair worriedly. "Think maybe they went down to Diagon Ally or something?"

"They would have just told us if they were doing that," Bill said.

"'Dey are out getting into trouble, dat iz what dey are doing!" Fleur snapped, just as George and Angelina apparated back into the room.

"Maybe we should just wait for them to come back?" George suggested. "No use running around if we have no idea where they are."

"Oh no, I'd like to pull Fred away from whatever he's doing myself," Angelina said firmly as Ginny and Fleur nodded in agreement.

"James likes to go down to the pubs in the muggle village," Harry said slowly.

"Excuse me?" Ginny frowned.

"Er, yeah, he's um, done it a few times," Harry said, avoiding his wife's eyes. "He likes the girls there…I've told him that he's not to do it anymore because, well, that pub can get a bit rough sometimes, but…"

"Well there you go, that's where they are," Angelina said firmly. "They're all probably down there getting drunk out of their skulls and flirting with pretty girls."

"Then let us go to dis pub!" Fleur said at once. "Ve vill find them and-"

Just then, a faint crack sounded from just outside the Potter's yard. A moment later, they heard the sound of the back-gate opening.

"Is that them?" George asked.

"Yes," Bill nodded, peering out the back window. "Louis must've apparated here with James and George. He just got his license last week."

"He von't be doing anymore apperating for a long time," Fleur said, crossing her arms. "Bill, go bring them in!"

Before Bill could do anything, though, the back door of the house opened and James, Louis, and Fred carefully stepped into the house, whispering to themselves. They clearly hadn't expected to be met by their parents, for when the three teens stepped into the living room, they looked at though they had just taken a stunning spell to their chests.

"Oh…'lo, everyone," James said, quickly recovering from his initial shock. "What are you all doing here?"

" _Where_ ," Ginny said, her voice scarily soft. "Have the three of you been?"

"Um, just out by the stream in the back," James said. "Thought we'd try our hands at fishing."  
"Didn't go well," Fred said.

"Yes, turns out we're not fishermen at all," Louis said, attempting a small chuckle.

"Then why did the three of you lie about where you were?" Angelina asked, crossing her arms.

"We um, we decided last minute we'd come here," Fred said to his mother. "Yes…first we thought we'd spend the afternoon at Louis', then we thought maybe we'd hang out over at our house…we finally decided on here and, um…that's all."

"I was out by the stream half-an-hour ago," Harry sighed. "I didn't see you three."

"That's because, um…we were wearing the Invisibility Cloak," James said lamely.

"The three of you are so close now that you decided you'd all huddle under that thing to _fish_?" Ginny said, raising an eyebrow.

"Er, yes?" James nodded.

"And vhat is dis?" Fleur suddenly asked, stepping over to Louis. She was looking down at his arm, which had a large, white bandage on it.

"Oh, um, tripped over some tree roots just now," Louis said, trying to back away from his mother. "Luckily I had some bandages in my bag and-hey!"

Fleur had pulled the bandage off and let out a gasp. Right on Louis' forearm was a bright, red, salamander, surrounded by flames.

"Is that-You got a tattoo?" Bill sputtered.

"How-How on earth did that get there?" Louis said weakly.

"So that's what they were doing!" Ginny exclaimed. "They snuck off and got tattoos!"

"Just Louis!" James said at once. "Fred and I only went as emotional support."

"That's right!" Fred nodded.

"They got them as well," Louis snapped, glaring at his cousins. "If I'm going down, I'm not covering for you lot!"

"Fred!" Angelina cried. "What were you _thinking_?"

"This is just about the stupidest thing you've ever done, James!" Ginny fumed.

"What's the big deal?" James asked. "We're not kids. We decided we wanted to do something fun for a change."

"Well I hope you had fun," Ginny retorted. "Because that's the _last_ fun thing you'll be doing for a _long_ time! James Sirius Potter go up to your bedroom _now_!"

"And the same goes for you," Angelina said, grabbing Fred's arm. "Come on, let's go."

"Well, this was an interesting afternoon," George said, the expression on his face clearly showing that he was trying hard not to laugh.

"And _you_ ," Fleur said, glaring up at Louis. She began speaking in rapid French again. Whatever she was saying, though, caused Louis to gulp nervously as him and his mother disapparated away.

"James, I _believe_ I told you to go to your room," Ginny said, looking right up at her son, who was nearly a foot taller than her.

"Mum, you're overreacting!" James said, rolling his eyes. "It's just a tattoo."

"Go!" Ginny snapped, pointing to the steps.

Muttering protests under his breath, the sixteen-year old stormed up to his bedroom, slamming the door behind him.

"That boy," Ginny groaned, collapsing onto the couch. "Is going to cause me to lose my wits before I even turn fifty."

"Didn't even know he wanted a tattoo," Harry said, sitting down next to her.

"Oh, he probably just woke up today and thought it'd be a good idea to get one," Ginny scoffed. "And now he's got something plastered onto his body for the rest of his life."

"I think there's a potion out there that can remove tattoos now," Harry pointed out. "So if he got something really stupid, he could always-"

"That's not the point, Harry," Ginny said, rolling her eyes at her husband.

"Er, right," Harry said.

"I don't understand…where did he get this rebellious streak from?" Ginny asked. "This isn't the first time he's done something like this. Remember last summer when he got that bloody earring?"

"Well he doesn't even wear that anymore," Harry shrugged.

"Harry!" Ginny moaned. "Could you at least _try_ and back me up here?"

"I am!" Harry defended. "I think James _should_ be in trouble for going and getting a tattoo. He should've known better."

Ginny continued to stare at him.

"But," Harry continued. "Is this really the end of the world? I mean he's a teenager. Isn't this what teenagers do? They sneak off and do stupid things behind our backs? Even Teddy did it a bit."

" _You_ never did anything like this," Ginny said.

"No," Harry agreed. "Course when we were James' age, there was too much going on in the world for us to even think about doing something like that. Tattoos were the last thing on my mind when I was sixteen."

Ginny's expression softened a bit. "Is that why you're not that upset?"

"I _am_ upset with James," Harry said. "Like I said, he should've known better. But…I am sort of glad that he seems to be having a more typical teenage experience than I did. I mean, I'd rather him be going off and getting a tattoo than have him have to worry about being killed by a Death Eater in his own home."

"I suppose that's a fair point," Ginny said slowly. "And…it's not like he was doing anything _really_ bad. He's always been a good kid…even if he can be a bit of an idiot at times."

"Yes, well, he probably gets that from me," Harry smiled, kissing her cheek.

…

Later that evening, Harry and Ginny knocked at James' bedroom door.

"Yeah?" James called from inside.

"We just thought you'd like to hear your punishment," Ginny said as her and Harry opened the door.

"Yes, I've been sitting up here for hours anxiously awaiting that," James said, rolling his eyes.

"Oh that's smart," Harry scoffed. "Chalk up an attitude right when we're about to give you your sentence.

"You're going to degnome the garden for the rest of the summer," Ginny said. "And you'll be responsible for doing all of the laundry for three weeks. _And_ you're not to leave this house for two weeks."

"You can't just push your chores off on me!" James cried.

"Oh yes we can," Ginny said brightly. "One of the perks of parenting."

"Whatever," James muttered.

"Dinner will be ready in an hour," Ginny told him. "Oh, forgot to mention, you'll also be doing the dishes. And if I catch you using a speck of magic to do them, you'll just add on extra time for yourself."

"She's a prison warden," James said as Ginny turned and left the room.

"Watch how you talk about your mother," Harry warned.

"Sorry," James muttered. "Hey, um…how'd did you all find out we had gone out? I thought we had a pretty good cover story."

"Fred left his backpack at the shop, and George came to drop it off," Harry explained.

"That git," James said, shaking his head.

"So," Harry asked. "Is there any particular reason you three decided you needed tattoos all of the sudden?"

"They look cool," James shrugged.

"Right," Harry said, rolling his eyes. "Well, can I at least see it?"

"Hmm? Oh, alright," James said. He sat up and pulled off his t-shirt, revealing a large, ferocious-looking lion across his chest. "I was deciding between this or a giant snitch."

"Ah," Harry said. "Well…I'd give your mother a few more days to calm down before you let her actually see this."

"Good thinking," James chuckled. "But do you like it? It's bloody brilliant, isn't it?"

"I suppose it beats that ridiculous earring you got," Harry smirked.


	91. Chapter 91

"-And look at his arms!" Ginny said, shaking her head as her, Harry, and Albus sat at the Potter's kitchen table, eating lunch. "He looks as though he's been skinned alive!"

"It's just a few scratches, mum," Albus said. "I was treating a Hungarian Horntail with a particularly bad case of scale gout. It looks worse than it is."

"Honestly," Ginny sighed. "With Teddy and Lily running around being Aurors, James taking bludgers to the head every other game, and _you_ cozying around with _dragons_ , it's a wonder I've managed to keep my sanity worrying over all of you."

"Shame none of our kids picked a desk job," Harry smirked.

"No, and we have _you_ to thank for this," Ginny said. "They clearly got this adventurous streak from you."

"Right, because you've been so quiet and tame your whole life," Harry scoffed playfully. "Anyway, Al, how's Romania?"

"Really good," Albus said. "The clinic is doing well. I'm wondering if I should maybe try to open another one…it's mostly dragons I see in Romania, what with Uncle Charlie's ranch being so nearby, but there are loads of creatures that can't be transported there for treatment."

"Seems ambitious," Ginny smiled.

"Yeah, well, Slytherin," Albus reminded her. "James and Lily came by the other day to see the place. Lily said Lysander thinks they could use a clinic for magical creatures in the States, so I might look into that."

"Nice," Harry said, impressed. "And how's Madeline?"

At the mention of his girlfriend, Albus' face lit up at once. "She's doing great," he said. "She sends her love, by the way. Oh, did I tell you that one of the paintings that she did is going to be displayed in a museum? It's a _huge_ deal, but of course she's acting all modest because, well, that's just Madeline for you."

"You'll have to tell her congratulations for us," Ginny said. "You should've brought her with you today so we could've done it in person."

"Er, well, see, that's sort of the reason I wanted to come by for lunch today," Albus said slowly. "I've got some big news I wanted to tell you…I-I'm going to ask her to marry me."

"Oh!" Ginny gasped. "Oh Albus, that's wonderful!"

"Congratulations!" Harry grinned, standing up to hug his son.

"Thanks, but she has to say yes before you start congratulation me," Albus pointed up as Ginny pulled him into a hug as well.

"She will," Harry assured him. "We've seen the pair of you together…"

"When are you going to do it?" Ginny asked.

"Soon," Albus said. "I'm still figuring out what I'm going to say. And I'll need to get a ring too. I've been to a few shops, but I can't find anything that seems right. But I just wanted to let you know that it's coming. Last week when we went to her parents' house for the week, I got their blessing, so now it's only a matter of time."

"I'm so happy for you, sweetheart," Ginny said. "We can't wait to have Madeline officially in the family."

"Thanks," Albus beamed. "Neither can I."

…..

A few hours later, Albus was sitting in the Potter's living room, looking through a magazine on the sofa.

"What are you up to?" Harry asked, walking into the room.

"I picked up these jewelry catalogues and I've been going through them trying to see if I could find a ring," Albus replied. "And so far, no luck. How long did it take you to find mum's ring?"

"Ages," Harry grinned. "I must've gone to three dozen jewelry shops."

"It has to be the perfect ring," Albus sighed. "Madeline isn't materialist or anything, but still…"

"I understand," Harry said. "Speaking of which, I wanted to show you something."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box.

"What is that?" Albus frowned.

Harry opened it up, revealing an elegant diamond ring.

"Whoa!" Albus said. "Whose ring is that?"

"It was my mum's," Harry explained. "My dad proposed to her with it as soon as they left Hogwarts. After she died, Sirius took it, and put it into my vault at Gringotts. He left me a note with it…think this must've been the last thing he did before he went looking for Pettigrew."

He took out a slip of parchment that had been nestled in the box and unfolded it.

"Harry," he read. "This ring belonged to your mother. Your father spent the better part of a month picking it out for her. He wanted a ring that would reflect the lifelong adventure they were embarking on together; one that would keep its beauty for years and years to come. One that would symbolize the life of love that they would share. Sadly, as you of course know, your parents did not get to live a long life together as they had hoped. Harry, you will not remember much of your parents, but I want to assure you of this: they loved each other more than anything in the world. It is cruel that their love for each other did not get to live on as long as it should have. But I am certain that your parents would have wanted nothing more for you to one day experience that same type of love. Love, Harry, can make the world seem like a beautiful place, even when, at times, it can be filled with nothing but darkness. So Harry, take this ring. When you are older, give this ring to the woman that makes you fall in love with. This ring should be used for what it was meant for."

"Um…I'm confused," Albus said slowly. "This isn't the ring you proposed to mum with."

"No," Harry smiled. "I found this ring in the vault about five years ago, hidden underneath a pile of galleons."

"Well that's anticlimactic," Albus commented.

"I suppose," Harry agreed. "But I thought maybe you'd like to use it."

"Me?" Albus said.

"You don't have to if you don't want to," Harry said. "I wouldn't be offended; I know that finding the perfect ring is important. But if you'd like-"

"Dad, I-This _is_ the perfect ring," Albus said, carefully picking the ring up to have a closer look. "I can definitely see Madeline in it."

"Yeah?" Harry smiled.

"Yeah," Albus nodded, closing the box and safely tucking it into his pocket. "Thanks, dad."


	92. Chapter 92

Harry was sitting in his office at the Ministry, looking over files of prisoners in Azkaban who would soon be up for probation. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door and Margot Williams, the deputy head of the Auror department, poked her head in.

"Hi, Harry," she said. "You busy?"

"Not particularly," Harry said, closing the file he had been looking at. "What's up?"

"The scores from the first trainee field test are in," Margot said. "Thought you'd like to see them before I post them."

"Yes," Harry nodded, taking the folder from her. "Thank you."

"We've got a good bunch," Margot said. "Very impressive."

"Good, seeing as Fields and Cooper are retiring at the end of the month," Harry said.

"And you see who scored at the top of the group?" Margot grinned.

"Lily Potter," Harry read, trying to contain a proud smile. "Ah…"

"She's brilliant," Margot said. "Have you gone down to see he in training?"

"I was going to sit in during today's training," Harry said. "I've been trying to keep my distance from her. I suspect she's trying to do the same; she probably doesn't want her father hovering over her."

"No," Margot agreed. "But honestly, Harry, she's unbelievable. Everybody says her spell work may be even better than yours one day."

"I don't doubt that," Harry chuckled. "Well, thanks again for bringing these by. Go ahead and hang them up in the lounge."

"Right," Margot nodded. "I'll see you around, Harry."

….

Later that afternoon, Harry stood behind an observation window as he watched the new group of trainees go through a particularly difficult Stunning exercise. He couldn't help but watch his daughter in amazement. She was blocking spells from multiple directions and was easily hitting targets that were half-a-mile away. She was clearly a natural dueler, and Harry didn't know whether to be proud or scared.

"Word around the Ministry is that Lily's one of the top recruits this office has seen in years," Hermione said, stepping into the observation room with Harry.

"She's good," Harry smiled.

"'Good' seems to be a bit of an understatement," Hermione pointed out as they watched Lily continue to fire spells with perfect accuracy.

"Ah, well, I'm trying to be unbiased," Harry grinned. "Are you going down to speak with them now?"

"As soon as they finish up this training exercise," Hermione nodded. "And I suppose Lily would like me to act as though I have never seen her before?"

"Yes," Harry nodded. "I've been trying my best to do the same. Most people already know she's my daughter, though. At least when Teddy went through his Auror training, most people didn't connect that he was my godson until he had completed the program."

"I'm sure Lily's fine," Hermione assured him. She looked through the observation window again. "Well, seems they've finished up in there. I'll see you in a bit, Harry. Tell Ginny I moved my lunch hour tomorrow, so I can make it to tea with her and Luna."

"Alright," Harry nodded.

As Hermione left, Harry took one last look at Lily, who was now wiping her brow, catching her breath.

"Way to go, Lil," Harry said softly.

….

That evening, Harry sat up in his office, just about getting ready to go home for the day. Suddenly, there was a knock at his door.

"Come in," Harry called.

The door opened up and Lily stepped inside.

"Hi, Lil," Harry said brightly. "I didn't think you were still here. Thought the trainees left by now."

"I hung around a bit," Lily said.

"Well, your mum and I are going to head over to the Burrow for dinner now," Harry told her, pulling on his coat. "Care to join us?"

"No, thanks, Lysander and I are just going to stay in," Lily replied.

"Suit yourself," Harry shrugged. "You need something, Lily?"

"I saw the scores from the first field test," Lily said.

"Yeah?" Harry grinned. "Top of the group…that's very impressive, Lily."

"Did you set that up?" Lily blurted out.

"What do you mean?" Harry frowned.

"I mean, did you boost my score for me?" Lily asked.

"Why would I do that?" Harry said.

"Because I'm your daughter," Lily said softly.

"I told you when you started the training program that you wouldn't get any special treatment because of that," Harry told her.

"I know," Lily muttered. "But people have been talking…"

"The other trainees, you mean?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes," Lily sighed. "But don't you go down and say anything! Last thing I need is for them to all think I went and snitched to my father."

"I won't," Harry promised, giving her a small smile. "Look…what if you put 'Weasley' as your surname around here? That way people may not make the connection right away that you and I are related."

"Oh, right, because there are no powerful 'Weasleys' here at the Ministry," Lily scoffed. "If I go and do that, I'll just be accused of getting favoritism because I'm related to the Minister of Magic. Besides, everybody already knows I'm your daughter. _And_ I don't want to have to change my name; that's stupid."

"Well then, you'll just have to ignore what the others think," Harry said. "Show them that you made it to the top of the class on your own. And based on what I saw from you during training today, that certainly won't be hard."

Lily grinned. "I was on fire, wasn't I?"

"You broke three of our Stunning targets beyond repair," Harry told her. He cleared his throat. "Listen, Lil, I _have_ been trying to keep my distance from you here."

"I know," Lily said. "And I appreciate it. And I can handle myself around anybody who thinks I'm getting favoritism; I'm used to it by now. I just wanted to check that you _weren't_ just boosting my scores."

"Yes, well, if it makes you feel any better, if I _were_ to try to play an influence in your scores, I certainly wouldn't put you at the top of the group," Harry told her. "I'd put you at the bottom where you'd be recommended for a desk job and I wouldn't have to worry about you when you start going on the field."

"You don't have to worry about me out there, dad," Lily said. "You just told me how impressive I've been in training."

"You can be as impressive as you like in training," Harry said. "But I'll always worry about you out there. That won't ever change."

Lily rolled her eyes. "Well, consider it repayment for making me worry about you when I was younger and you'd go out on those bloody missions. Anyway, I'm going to head out then. I'll see you around da-Mr. Potter."

"Have a good night, Ms. Potter," Harry replied, winking at her.


	93. Chapter 93

"The Yule Ball?" Lily read, looking at the bulletin board in the Gryffindor common room. "What's that?"

"It was originally part of the Twiwizard Tournament," Rose said. "It was a big ball held on Christmas Eve that was meant to further foster the new relations between the competing schools."

"But the Twiwizard Tournament hasn't been held in years," James frowned. "Why are they having this ball thing?"

"Bunch of girls probably begged McGonagall," Fred said, rolling his eyes.

"Well I think it sounds fun," Lily said brightly.

"Too bad you can't go," James smirked. "Says right there: the ball is only open to fourth years or above, and seeing as you're in your _third_ year, looks like you'll have to miss out."

"It says younger students can go as guests if they're invited," Lily pointed out.

"Who'd invite you?" James scoffed.

"Er, hi Lily," Artie Walters, a blury fourth-year boy said nervously, approaching Lily. "Don't know if you've heard yet, but there's going to be a ball here soon. And I was wondering if maybe you'd like to go-"

"Get out of here!" James snapped.

"Oh, er, okay," Artie gulped, hurrying off.

"James!" Lily exclaimed, angrily shoving past her brother and heading after Artie.

"So what do you reckon?" Fred asked James. "Are we going to this thing?"

"Might as well," James shrugged. "The girls are bound to be really into it, which will be good for us. They'll get all dolled up…can you imagine what Felicity Cornell will look like? She already looks stunning in her school robes; picture her in one of those tight, clinging gowns!"

"Nice,"" Fred grinned.

"You two are pigs," Rose said, disgusted.

"Looks like Louis is already getting some offers," James pointed out, nodding to his cousin across the common room, who was currently surrounded by no less than six witches. "Hey, once he picks the one he wants to take, I bet the others will be so heartbroken they'll need a shoulder to cry on…"

"And _we'll_ be those shoulders," Fred nodded. "I like the way you think, Potter. Let's go!"

…..

"Just let me copy the end," Albus begged Rose, as the two cousins, along with Scorpius, sat at their usual table in the library.

"No," Rose said. "If I let you copy, how will you ever learn about the proper technique behind blocking spells?"

"I don't care if I learn about it," Albus said simply. "But I'd prefer not to fail the class, so can you just let me see yours so I can turn this stupid essay in?"

"Fine," Rose finally conceded. "But _just_ the end."

"You got it," Albus said, taking the essay. "You're the best, Rose."

"So," Scorpius said. "Was the notice for that Yule Ball thing up in the Gryffindor common room as well? We just saw it this morning."

"Yes, we all saw it," Rose nodded.

"So are you going to go?" Scorpius asked.

"Oh, I don't know," Rose shrugged. "I suppose it could be fun."

"Has anybody asked you yet?" Scorpius asked. "Er, I was just wondering, you know."

"In the three hours that the notice has been up? No," Rose replied. "Lily's gotten about four invitations, though."

"What?" Albus frowned.

"Oh well, good," Scorpius said. "Er, well, not good, but um…that's…that."

"Have _you_ asked anybody?" Rose asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No, um, not yet," Scorpius said, clearing his throat awkwardly. "But _Albus_ is already planning on asking Beth Corners."

"Well finally," Rose said. "It's about time; you've fancied her for ages, Al."

"I have not," Albus said.

"Yes you have," Scorpius grinned. "You're mad for her; it obvious, you know."

" _I'm_ obvious about who I fancy?" Albus said, looking between Rose and Scorpius. "You two are unbelievable."

"What do you mean?" Rose asked.

"Nothing," Albus said, shaking his head. "But if you two must know, I _am_ going to ask Beth to the ball."

"When are you going to do it?" Scorpius asked.

"I dunno, maybe tomorrow?" Albus said, somewhat nervously. "Ravenclaw and Slytherin fifth-years have the same free period after lunch. I can probably catch her alone then."

"Well good luck, mate," Scorpius said.

"Yes, Beth seems nice," Rose said, looking at her watch. "Oh, I need to get to Quidditch practice. I don't want to deal with one of James' lectures if I'm ten seconds late. I'll see you two later."

"You know she'd most likely agree to go to the ball with you if you asked her," Albus muttered to Scorpius as Rose left the library.

"Why would I ask her?" Scorpius asked at once.

"Because you've fancied her since you were eleven," Albus said.

"Well now that's just ridiculous," Scorpius sputtered.

"Right," Albus said, rolling his eyes. "If you say so."

…..

The next afternoon, Albus stood outside in the courtyard, looking over at Beth Corners, who was currently sitting underneath a shady tree, looking through a book. She was by herself at the moment, but Albus knew if he didn't act soon, her group of girlfriends would soon be at her side, and his opportunity would be lost for the day.

"Beth Corners, huh? Nice choice."

Albus spun around and saw James standing behind him, grinning cheekily.

"What are you doing?" Albus frowned.

"What? I can't watch my little brother ask out his first girl?" James asked in mock offense. "This is a big moment. Shall I fetch a camera to capture the memory forever?"

"How did you find out?" Albus demanded.

"Rose is brilliant, but she's probably the worst at keeping secrets," James said simply. "So what are you waiting for then? Go on and ask her. She's quite pretty; if you don't ask her soon, some other bloke will."

"I-I dunno," Albus said slowly. "Maybe I shouldn't. I don't know her that well. She-She may not even know who I am. We just have charms together."

"Well, considering you've probably caused at least a dozen explosions in that class so far, I'm sure she' knows you," James said. "So off you go then."

"I'm not going to ask her while you watch!" Albus said. "Get lost!"

James gave his brother an innocent smile before clearing his throat. "Oi! Beth!" he yelled, getting her attention. "Albus here has a question for you!"

"You're dead!" Albus hissed, his cheeks flushing bright red.

"You're welcome," James said simply.

Now having no choice but to walk over to Beth, Albus started towards her, his hands growing sweatier each step he took.

"Er, hi Beth," he said. "Um, we-we have the um, same Charms class, you know."

"Yes," Beth nodded. "I know. You're Albus. Albus Potter."

"Right," Albus said. "Um, listen, I was wondering if perhaps, um, you'd like to-"

"You know," Beth said. "I've always wanted to talk to you. We've been in classes for five years now, and I've never worked up the nerve."

"Wait, really?" Albus said, taken aback. " _You've_ wanted to talk to _me_?"

"Of course," Beth said, closing her book. "Tell me, what _is_ it like being the Chosen One's son?"

Albus frowned. "Er, what?"

"I've read all about your father, of course," Beth said. "But you must know him in a completely different light. Has he told you things that he's never told anybody else about hunting down Horcruxes? Does his scar ever still hurt? Can he still talk to snakes?"

"Um, I've actually got to go," Albus mumbled. "Forgot something in the castle…"

"Well I'll talk to you later then?" Beth asked eagerly. "I'd love to ask you more questions about your dad."

"Maybe," Albus said lamely, turning and walking back towards James, who had clearly heard the whole thing.

"Happy?" Albus snapped to his brother. "That was a disaster! She could've cared less about me, so long as I told her dad's life story."

To Albus' surprise, James didn't have a snarky response. Instead, he gave his brother a small smile. "Sorry, Al. That was rough. I didn't think…I thought I was just helping you get a date. Honest."

"Yeah, well, whatever," Albus said. "Shouldn't have gotten my hopes up anyway."

He turned and headed back towards the castle.

"It's happened to me before too, you know," James said suddenly, causing Albus to stop in his tracks.

Albus looked back. "What?"

"People only being interested in me because of dad," James said. "It sucks, doesn't it? Do you remember that girl from Hufflepuff I saw for about a week last year? Zoey Dukes?"

"Sure," Albus said.

"Well, we went to Honeydukes together," James said. "And we stopped in at the Three Broomsticks for a drink. She spent the entire time asking me about dad, and how he stopped Voldemort and how amazing it must be for me to be the son of the 'Boy Who Lived'. She didn't ask about me once. And at the end of the date she wanted to know if I could write to dad and get her an autograph."

"Seriously?" Albus frowned.

"Yeah," James said. He cleared his throat. "But um, don't let that get around. I told Louis and Fred I ended things with her because I didn't want to be tied down."

"So what are we supposed to do then?" Albus asked.

"Eh, I'm sure there are some girls around here who wouldn't do that," James shrugged. "You just have to find them. In the meantime, though, I suppose I can let you in on a little secret. Muggle girls."

"Muggle girls?" Albus repeated.

"Yeah, you've been down to the village at home," James nodded. "There's a ton of them there. Sure, you couldn't take them to the Yule Ball, but the name 'Harry Potter' means absolutely nothing to them. It's refreshing, really. Next time we're at home, I'll take you down there, if you'd like."

"Um, yeah, that'd be…nice," Albus said, not used to seeing this brotherly side of James. "Thanks."

"Yes, well, seeing as you're more challenged in the looks department than I am, you'll need all the help you can get," James said, his signature smirk returning to his face.

"Ha, ha," Albus said, rolling his eyes. "Hey, while we're on the subject of dating, what's this I've heard about Lily already being asked by four boys to this bloody ball? You're in her house; can't you do something?"

"I'm trying!" James exclaimed. "We've got trouble with that one, Al. I don't think these blokes are only interested in her because she's Harry Potter's daughter, unfortunately. I heard Samuel McLaggen is thinking of asking her too...I hate that git. I should hex him or something."

"You know if dad hears you did that only to keep him from asking Lily to the ball, he wouldn't be too mad at you," Albus grinned. "He'd probably buy you a new broomstick or something, actually. Course if mum were to find out, you'd be dead."

"I know," James sighed. "It's quite a dilemma."


	94. Chapter 94

"More!" Teddy said happily, bouncing up and down on the sofa next to Harry. "Say another color, Harry!"

"Alright, but this one's going to be a tough one," Harry said, scrunching his face up in concentration. "How about…Purple?"

"Easy!" Teddy said. He closed his eyes, and a second later, his hair turned a bright shade of purple.

"You're getting quite good at this," Harry said, impressed.

"Just like mummy!" Teddy said proudly.  
"Yes," Harry said, giving him a small smile. "Just like your mummy."

"Want to see me do yellow now?" Teddy asked.

"Course," Harry said to the three-year old.

Teddy had just turned his hair a vibrant yellow, when the fireplace began to glow green and Ron stumbled out.

"Hi Ron," Teddy said.

"Hey there, Teddy," Ron said. "Nice hair."

"I can change it into almost every color now!" Teddy said excitedly. "Except orange…orange is hard."

"Ah, well, you'll get it," Ron said, reaching into his the bag he was carrying. He pulled out a plate of biscuits. "Mum sent these over for you lot."

"Can I have one?" Teddy asked Harry.

"Sure," Teddy nodded. "Just don't fill up, alright. Your grandmother gets mad at me when you're too stuffed to eat her dinners."

Teddy selected a biscuit from the platter and hopped off the sofa, heading towards a pile of blocks on the floor nearby.

"I'm making Hogwarts," Teddy informed Ron. "Harry says it looks almost exactly like it."

"He's right," Ron said, taking Teddy's seat next to Harry. "You're quite the…what's the name of those muggles who build things? Astronauts?"

"Architects," Harry corrected, rolling his eyes.

"I was close," Ron shrugged. "Anyway, what have you been doing?"

"Just hanging around here with Teddy," Harry said. "I finished up early at the Auror office. Once Ginny gets home from practice, we're going to take Teddy out to the playground and then we're having dinner at Andy's."

"Uh-huh," Ron nodded. "Sounds fun."

"So," Harry said, lowering his voice some. "Have you decided if you're going to do it tonight?"

"Yeah," Ron said. "I-I am. Unless I lose my nerve, that is."

"You need to relax," Harry said. "What are you so worried about?"

"Well where would you like me to begin?" Ron snapped. "I could forget what I want to say, I could lose the bloody ring, Hermione could say no-"

"Alright, I'll hand it to you, those first two are possibilities," Harry cut him off. "But Hermione's not going to say no."

"You can't know that for sure," Ron said. "What if…what if me asking her to marry me is the wake-up call she needed to make he realize she could do a lot better than me."

"Come on, mate, she's crazy about you," Harry said. "Trust me, she's just as ready as you are to spend the rest of your lives together."

"You reckon that's true?"

"Course I do," Harry said. "It will be fine, Ron."

"Blimey, this is nerve wrecking," Ron said, wiping his sweaty palms on his pant legs. "Right, well, I suppose I should go and start getting everything ready. She's going to be home from the Ministry early tonight, so I only have a few more hours."

"Good luck," Harry said. "But like I said, you won't need it."

…..

Ron looked around the small dining room of his and Hermione's shared home, making sure that every last detail was perfect. When he had arrived back home from Harry and Ginny's flat earlier, he had gotten to work right away at making Hermione's favorite meal and setting the place up to look as romantic as he could make it. He flattened a wrinkle in his shirt, cursing himself for not saving more time for him to get himself ready. He was debating whether he should run upstairs and change when he suddenly heard a loud popping sound from the front entranceway of the home.

"Ron?" he heard Hermione call out. "Are you home?"

"In here, Hermione," Ron said, already feeling his heartrate picking up.

"I stopped by the shop after I got out of work," Hermione said. "But George said you took off early. Are you feeling-oh!"

As she saw the dining room, she let out a soft gasp, stopping dead in her tracks.

"Yeah, um, I took off early to come home and get this ready for you," Ron told her, giving her a small smile.

"Oh Ron, that was so thoughtful of you," Hermione said, looking up admiringly at him. "Thank you. But what's the occasion?"

"No occasion," Ron said quickly. "I just thought you could use a nice night in. I know you've been working really hard at the Ministry."

"Well aren't you just filled with surprises," Hermione said as Ron stepped over to her and handed her a glass of wine. She craned her neck and gave him a kiss on his lips.

"I am, aren't I?" Ron smirked, kissing her back as he gently wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her even closer to him. He kissed her again, this time more passionately. He instantly felt some of the nerves in his stomach disappear; being with Hermione had a way of making him feel better no matter what the situation was. When he reluctantly pulled away, he rested his head on her forehead, simply taking in the sight of her.

"We should get to the food," he told her. "It'll taste best when it's warm, and I couldn't remember how to charm the plates like mum does to keep it from cooling off."

"Alright," Hermione agreed, starting towards the table. "It looks delicious, love. Lucky for us you seemed to have picked up your mother's cooking skills, seeing as I'm complete rubbish in the kitchen."

"No, you're not," Ron said, pulling out her seat for her. "You can make…eggs."

"I nearly burned down the flat last time I attempted that," Hermione reminded him.

"Er, alright, let's just agree that I'll do all the cooking for us then," Ron chuckled. "So how was work?"

"Oh fine," Hermione said. "I got the news that statue fourteen of the House Elf Employment Code could be enacted within the next month."

"That's the part you wanted to add about elves being given the right to quit working for a family if they wish, right?" Ron said.

"Yes," Hermione nodded. "There's going to be a final meeting about it next week; I already know at least two wizards who will be opposing it."

"Only because they probably know that with the way they treat their elves, they'll be without servants for sure if that takes effect," Ron said. "You'll get them for sure, though. I've seen you argue before, after all."

"I hope so," Hermione sighed. "But since we're just waiting on this meeting now, I don't have too much going on at work until then. I've prepared as much as I can for it, so I was thinking that the pair of us could go somewhere this weekend, if you can get off at the shop as well. Mum and dad would let us use their cottage in Wales, I'm sure."

"That'd be brilliant," Ron grinned. "We could use the break. I'll talk to George; if I cover for him weekend after next, he'll let me go."

"I can't wait," Hermione said, taking a bite of the pork chops Ron had prepared. "These really _are_ good, Ron. I can't believe you did all of this for no reason."

"Yes, well," Ron said, clearing his throat. "Actually…there is a reason behind all of this."

"What?" Hermione asked curiously.

"I love you," Ron blurted out.

Hermione smiled, putting down her fork and knife. "I didn't need a fancy dinner to know that. I love you too, Ron."

"I just…I still can't believe that I've gotten this lucky," Ron said, trying to remember all of the words he had practiced over and over again the past few weeks. "You-You are honestly the best thing that has ever happened to me. I wish I wasn't so thick for so many years, so we could have had longer together. Sometimes-Sometimes I wonder how I made it so long without having you in my life…like this. And-And I don't want to ever go back to that time; I-I want us to spend our whole lives together."

He took a deep breath and slowly lowered himself to one knee. Hermione's eyes grew wide in shock as Ron reached into his pocket with a very shaky hand and produced a small velvet box. He carefully opened it, revealing a modest, but beautiful, diamond ring.

"Hermione Jean Granger," Ron said, locking eyes with her. "Will you marry me?"

Hermione covered her mouth with her hands, a tear streaming down her face as she instantly nodded her head.

"Yes," she managed to say. "Yes Ron, of course I'll marry you!"

A huge grin broke out across Ron's face, and it took him a moment to gather himself before he could even manage to slide the ring onto Hermione's finger. He then jumped to his feet and threw his arms around her, pressing his lips against hers hungrily.

"Didn't think it was possible for you make me feel any happier," Ron murmured when they pulled apart, both out of breath. "But I should've known you'd find a way."

"You took the words right out of my mouth," Hermione said, pulling his head back down towards hers.


	95. Chapter 95

"So is it weird?" Ron asked as he poured himself a mug of coffee in the Potter's kitchen. "Having Malfoy's son staying at your house?"

Harry shrugged. "Not as weird as I thought, to be honest," Harry said. "It helped that Scorpius' mum was the one who brought him by."  
"What's she like?" Ron asked.

"Er, normal, actually," Harry said. "She thanked me and Ginny for letting Scorpius stay with us for the week, gave us the Floo network of the place in Transylvania where they're staying, and that was it."

"She can't be too normal if she married a git like Malfoy," Ron muttered darkly.

"Watch it, Ron," Hermione warned, stepping into the kitchen as well. "Don't talk about Scorpius' father like that when he's here."

"I'm sure Scorpius knows us and his father aren't chummy," Ron said, rolling his eyes.

"Yes, but seeing as his son is very good friends with your daughter, you should make an effort to be civil," Hermione said.

"I am civil to Scorpius!" Ron defended. "What would you like me to do? Hug him?"

"You know, he's really not that bad," Harry said. "He seems like a nice kid."

"Rose says he's very bright," Hermione said. "You know, Neville said that him, Albus, and Rosie are just as close as the three of us were when we were at school. Even with Rose in a different house, the three of them are almost always together."

"And just how much time is Rose spending with Scorpius?" Ron scoffed. "I can make my peace with the pair of them being friends, I guess, but I'd rather not have to give my daughter away to a Malfoy one day."

"They're twelve, Ron," Hermione frowned. "I think it's a bit early to worry about Rose dating anybody. She's still got at least another two years to go before she'll be interested in that."

"Two?" Ron said, nearly choking on his coffee. "More like ten!"

"Besides," Hermione said, choosing to ignore her husband's comment. "So what if she does decide she'd like to start dating Scorpius?"

"Hermione, that's insane!" Ron said. "Harry, back me up here!"

"I'd like to stay out of this, seeing as it doesn't involve me," Harry said, pouring himself more coffee. "Where _is_ Rose by the way? Her and Hugo didn't come over with you."

"They're spending the day with my parents today," Hermione replied. "Hugo wanted to go to the muggle museum to see the exhibit on airplanes, and Rose wants to learn more about anatomy."

"What's that?" Ron asked.

"It's the science of how your body works," Hermione said. "I wish I could've gone with them, but I have a busy afternoon at the Ministry."

"I'll take you," Ron said. "We've been saying we need to have a night out. We'll leave the kids here this Friday and the two of us will go and have a good time."

"You can't just decide the kids can stay here," Hermione said, though she gave her husband a small smile.

"It's fine," Harry said. "It's not like our kids don't already spend half the summer at the other's house."

"We owe you one," Ron said to Harry. "Hey, it's strangely quiet around here, by the way. Where is everyone?"

"Ginny left already to cover the Cannons game," Harry replied.

"She's going to the Cannons game?" Ron frowned. "And she didn't invite me?"

"She said you embarrassed her last time," Harry grinned. "Said something about you painting your face bright orange."

"It's called being a loyal fan!" Ron defended as Hermione giggled.

"Right," Harry said, rolling his eyes. "If you say so. James has been sleeping in until about noon lately, but Lily or Albus or Scorpius should be up soon."

Right on cue, Lily walked into the kitchen, wearing a robe over her nightgown.

"Good morning," she said pleasantly, sitting down at the table.

"Morning, Lily Bud," Harry smiled, kissing the top of her head. "Hungry? Your grandmum brought by muffins for breakfast."

"Chocolate chip?" Lily asked excitedly.

"She must know they're your favorite," Harry said, handing her one from the basket on the counter.

"Are there any more chocolate chips in there?" Ron asked. "Hugo ate all of the ones mum sent over to our place."

"Teddy came by and cleaned out most of them just before you got here," Harry said.

"How is Teddy doing with his Auror training?" Hermione asked.

"Really well," Harry replied. "He whizzed through the concealment and disguise course yesterday."

"Well of course," Ron grinned. "Just like Tonks did."

"Daddy, can Teddy move back in?" Lily asked. "I miss him."

"Teddy has his own place now," Harry said. "But you know he still comes by nearly every day."

"Well can I move in with him?" Lily asked.

"Nah, I'd miss you," Harry smiled. "Besides, Vicky's living there with him."

"Why?" Lily frowned.

"Um…because," Harry said lamely as Ron snorted, trying to hide a laugh.

"James said it's because they can't keep their hands off of each other," Lily said.

"Don't listen to James," Harry said quickly.

"Lily, Hugo wanted us to tell you he wants you to come by our place tonight," Hermione said, skillfully changing the subject. "He wants to show you the new muggle video game his grandparents got for him."

"Oh! Those are always fun!" Lily said excitedly. "Can I spend the night there, dad? Whenever he gets a new game, it always takes ages for us to win. We'll need to stay up all night playing it."

"It's fine with me," Harry shrugged, looking at Ron and Hermione. "Is that alright?"

"Course, like you said, the kids wind up going back and forth between our places the whole summer anyway," Hermione smiled.

"I hope it's another racing game," Lily said, picking up the pitcher of juice at the table. "Those are the best. I'm really good at them, you know. You should let me drive the real car sometime, daddy, and-"

"Morning," Albus suddenly said, coming into the kitchen, followed closely by Scorpius.

Lily fell silent at once, quickly looking down at her plate, and placing the juice pitcher down on the table. She placed it a bit too close to the ledge, though, for as soon as she let go of the handle, the entire pitcher went crashing to the ground, sending juice spilling onto the floor and poor Lily's lap.

"Nice one," Albus smirked, as Lily's face turned bright red.

"Come here," Hermione said kindly to Lily, pulling out her wand and casting a drying spell at her niece.

"I do that all the time at home," Scorpius said, giving Lily a small smile. "Don't feel bad."

Lily's face went even redder, and she suddenly became very interested in her placemat.

"There are muffins on the counter," Harry told the boys, pointing his wand at the broken pitcher, causing it to instantly repair itself.

"Did you or mum make them?" Albus asked cautiously.

"No, your grandmother sent them over," Harry said, rolling his eyes.

"Smart to check, Al," Ron grinned. "Don't know how the three of you survive around here with two parents who are useless in the kitchen."

"What are you two doing today?" Harry asked the boys, shooting Ron a glare.

"Dunno," Albus said. "Scorpius mentioned wanting to see some of the muggle village, so maybe we'll head down there."  
"Well I'm off of work today," Harry said. "If you'd like, I'll take you lot to the cinema. Have you ever been there before, Scorpius?"

"No, but I've heard of it," Scorpius said eagerly. "It's a big screen with a pictures that talk, right?"

"More or less," Albus grinned. "It's really cool; you'll love it."

"We have to wait for your brother to wake up," Harry said. "He'd be upset if he missed going."

"So we'll likely be leaving around two in the afternoon," Albus said to Scorpius, rolling his eyes as the boys finished the last of their muffins. "Want to go down by the stream in the meantime? I've gotten pretty good at fishing lately."

"Sure," Scorpius said. He turned to Lily. "Do you fish as well?"

"No," Lily squeaked, dropping half of her unfinished muffin on the floor.

"She's rubbish at it," Albus said. "Come on, let me grab my rod and then we'll head out."  
"Alright," Scorpis nodded. "Thank you for the muffins; they were delicious."

"No problem; I'll call you two in when it's time to leave," Harry said.

As the boys left the kitchen, Lily quickly got up from her seat and rushed up the stairs, leaving her unfinished breakfast behind.

"Aw," Hermione smiled.

"What's aw?" Harry frowned.

"Didn't you-never mind," Hermione said quickly, clearing her throat.

"No, what is it?" Harry asked.

"Well, that was all just really sweet, wasn't it?" Hermione said.

"What? The boys going off to go fishing?" Ron said, confused.

"No," Hermione said, shaking her head. "Isn't it obvious? Lily's got a crush on Scorpius."

"Excuse me?" Harry said, nearly dropping his mug. "She does not!"

"Was that why she suddenly got all nervous and quiet?" Ron asked.

"Of course," Hermione nodded. "Oh, it's precious."

"It is not!" Harry snapped. "I-No!"

"Relax, it's just a silly childhood crush," Hermione said. "All girls get them around her age. Rose used to have one on a boy in her class during her fifth year of muggle primary school."

"What now?" Ron frowned.

"But she got over it in less than a week," Hermione said, ignoring Ron.

"Yeah?" Harry said, looking a somewhat more relieved.

"Course mum also said Ginny's crush on you when she was younger would pass," Ron said. "And would you look at the pair of you now…"

Harry's eyes widened in shock, and this time, he really did drop his coffee mug.

…

"I don't know whether to respect Ron, or pity him, for being a fan of the Cannons this long," Ginny said, later that afternoon, apparating back into her home. "Four-hundred and eighty to sixty…and this was one of their higher scoring games. Where is everyone?"

"Albus and Scorpius went over to see Rose," Harry said. "James is at the shop with Fred, and Lily…I think she's up in her room. Gin, we've got a serious problem with her."

"Is she alright?" Ginny asked, concerned.

"Oh, yeah," Harry said quickly. "But…she's got a crush on Scorpius!"

Ginny stared blankly back at her husband. "And?"

"And? Ginny, it's Scorpius!" Harry sputtered, surprised by her lack of a reaction.

"So? You've said yourself that Scorpius is a good kid," Ginny said.

"Yes, and that's why I don't care if him and Albus are _friends_ ," Harry said. "But that doesn't mean I want him and my daughter dating."

"Oh Harry, she's not even ten-years old yet," Ginny said. "She's got three years before she'll be ready to actually start dating?"

"Three? Ha!" Harry said. "You're worse than Hermione."

"Besides, it's a _crush_ ," Ginny said. "She'll probably be over it by the end of the month. He's just a new boy who seems fascinating at the moment."

"You had a _crush_ on me," Harry reminded her. "And you wound up marrying me."

"Hmm, yes, I suppose you're right," Ginny sighed. "Well, no use fighting this, then. Perhaps I'll take Lily down to start picking out her wedding dress, since her marrying Scorpius is unavoidable now."

"Oh shut it," Harry snapped as Ginny laughed at his distress.

"Harry, just because I happened to marry someone I had a crush on doesn't mean Lily will," Ginny said. "Trust me, she's going to have lots of crushes in her life before she finds someone that she wants to marry."

"Lots of-that doesn't help me, Ginny!" Harry groaned.


	96. Chapter 96

"Baby," James stated, pointing at Rose, who was currently fast asleep in Ron's arm.

"Yes, that's baby Rosie," Ginny nodded. "Isn't she the cutest thing? Despite having Uncle Ron as a father…"

"Ha, ha," Ron sneered.

"Baby," James said again, this time pointing to the swell of Ginny's stomach.

"Yes," Ginny smiled. "That's your baby brother. Aren't you excited to meet him soon?"

James didn't respond, for at that moment Harry and Hermione walked into the room, and everything else except his father was wiped from James' mind.

"Daddy!" James cried, holding up his arms for his father.

"Hi, James," Harry grinned, scooping up his son. "Missed you, bud."

"How was work?" Ginny asked.

"Three, back-to-back meetings," Harry sighed. "Don't think I've ever been so bored in my life."

"They _did_ drag on," Hermione yawned, sitting down next to Ron, who carefully handed her Rose.

"Well, you're off tomorrow, right?" Ron said. "At least you can relax then. By the way, mum said that she'd be able to watch Rosie while we're at that bloody Ministry Ball this weekend."

"Oh, I'll need to ask her if she can watch James as well," Ginny said. "And I'll need to find a dress. Hopefully it won't be too hard to find something that fits me."

Harry awkwardly cleared his throat. "About that…"

"What?" Ginny frowned.

"Ron, we should get back home," Hermione said, getting back up to her feet.

"Yeah, we should," Ron said, casting Harry a sympathetic look. "See you two later."

"What's going on?" Ginny asked as the family disapparated.

"Well," Harry said, shifting James on his lap. "I was just told today that I'd be needed on an upcoming Auror mission. And um, it's set to leave day after tomorrow, so well, you can still go to the ball, of course, but I just won't be there with you…"

"You're going on a mission?" Ginny frowned. "I thought you told them that the mission you came back from last week was the last one you could go on until after the baby was born."

"I did," Harry said, suddenly very thankful that James was sitting with them, for he knew that the child was the only thing keeping his wife from raising her voice. "But, um, it's a very important mission, and they need all hands on deck."

"How long will you be?" Ginny asked, her voice scarily soft.

"They-They suspect it will take about three weeks," Harry said, not meeting her gaze.

"Three weeks?" Ginny hissed. "You're leaving on a mission when your child is about to be born?"

"The baby isn't due for another two months; I'll be back in time," Harry said quickly.

"Sure, you'll be back for, what, a week? And then you'll be called away for another mission?" Ginny snapped, getting to her feet.

"Gin," Harry sighed. "Look, I-"

"I'm going to go give James his bath," Ginny said, taking the child in her arms as she pulled herself up from the couch.

"I can do that," Harry said. "Why don't you sit and-"

"No, no, I'm sure you'll want to rest up for your mission," Ginny said, her face turning the same shade of red as her hair. She turned and headed up the steps, leaving Harry behind her.

…

Ginny refused to do more than shoot Harry stern glares for the remainder of the evening. When James was finally put to bed, Harry decided to approach Ginny once more.

"Ginny," Harry said, stepping into the couples' bedroom, where Ginny was pulling on her dressing gown. "Can we just talk?"

"What do we have to talk about?" Ginny said simply. "You're going to go off to play hero; I thought that was already decided."

"Play hero?" Harry frowned. "You _know_ that's not it! This is my _job_."

"And you _said_ you wouldn't be going on another Auror mission for a while," Ginny retorted. "You've barely been home a week from the last one!"

"I know, and for the millionth time, I _tried_ to stay back from this one," Harry said. "But I _couldn't._ "

"Right," Ginny said, rolling her eyes.

"You know, you act like I _want_ to leave you," Harry said, feeling his own temper rising. "You think I wouldn't _love_ to stay here? I hate leaving you and James and Teddy, especially with you being seven-months pregnant. But I _have_ to-"

"I know you _have_ to," Ginny snapped. "But that doesn't mean I have to be happy about it!"

"Well-I don't know what you want me to do," Harry said, frustrated. "Other than quitting my job, there's no way out of this."

Ginny didn't respond.

"Is that what you want?" Harry asked softly. "You want me to leave the Auror office?"

"I-No," Ginny sighed. "Of course not. I just-"

"Because I would," Harry told her.

Ginny stared at him. "What?"

"I'd leave," Harry repeated. "If you wanted me to."

"No, Harry," Ginny said. "I know you love being an Auror."

"I love you more," Harry said. "And our family. You guys come first."

Ginny said nothing as Harry stepped closer to her, putting his hands on her waist.

"If you want me to quit, all you have to do is say the word," Harry told her sincerely.

"Harry, I-No," Ginny said, reaching up to stroke his cheek gently. "I don't want that."

"I wouldn't regret it, if that's what you're thinking," Harry told her.

"I know," Ginny said. "But…you're a fighter, Harry. And you need to be out there, fighting to make this world a better place for our children."

Harry reached down and wiped a stray tear from her eye.

"In a perfect world…I'd love for you to never have to leave," Ginny said. "And-And it's always hard, when you do have to go, but-but I understand that you don't have a choice sometimes."

"I wish I did," Harry whispered.

"I know," Ginny said. "I'm-I'm sorry I got upset with you earlier. Like I said…it's always going to be hard for me."

"Well is there anything I could do to make it easier for you?" Harry asked.

"Just be careful," Ginny said, looking up at him. "Promise?"

"Promise," Harry whispered, pulling her closer to him.


	97. Chapter 97

"What _is_ this?" Ginny frowned, watching Harry connect a strange black box to their muggle television set.

"A _Playstation_ ," Harry said happily.

"A what?"

"It's a video game system," Harry explained.

"Again…what?"

"Video games are these games where you get to control what goes on," Harry said. "You use these controllers here to move around the players on the game. You'll see when it's set up. I've heard this is really fun! The kids can play too; I got a few games I think they'd like."

"You're worse than my dad, buying all this muggle stuff," Ginny said, somewhat amused as she sat down next to her husband. "Phones, televisions, computers…with all of these electryonics, you'd hardly think any wizards live here."

"I should've asked you before I got this, right?" Harry said. "Sorry, I saw it at the store and I suppose I acted a bit impulsively. I can take it back if you-"

"No, I don't mind it," Ginny said. "Most of these muggle things _do_ wind up being pretty nice. I like the television, even if I don't know how to work it half the time. That remote thing is bloody impossible to work…"

"The kids can work it just fine," Harry grinned.

"Yes, well, I'll learn one of these days," Ginny said, rolling her eyes. She watched Harry fiddle with the game system for a few more moments.

"You know, I made a deal with myself," Harry said looking over at her. "When I was younger, before I even knew I was a wizard."

"What sort of deal?" Ginny questioned.

"Well, all of these muggle things…televisions, video games, computers, those robot action figures…Dudley had them all," Harry explained. "And they seemed like they were the best things in the world at the time. Course I was never allowed to touch any of those things. I remember I'd get so excited when the Durselys' would leave to go to the cinema or a restaurant or something, because that'd mean I'd have a chance to play with those things for a few hours…it would be the highlight of my month. Anyway, back then I made a deal that the second I turned eighteen, that's when muggles come of age, and I moved out of that place, I'd buy myself all of the things I was never allowed to have so that I could finally be happy."

Ginny smiled, putting her arm around him. "Well…did it work?"

Harry tossed the controller down, pulling her gently onto his lap. "Nope."

"What do you mean?" Ginny asked, confused. "Aren't you happier now than you were at the Dursleys'?"

"Absolutely," Harry said at once. "But it's definitely not because of the televisions and computers. It's because of you. And the kids. I don't give a damn about any of those things, you know. Not compared to you guys. You're all I need to be happy."

Ginny craned her neck to kiss him. "Since when do you pull lines like that? That was disgustingly romantic, Potter."

"You're right," Harry said, kissing her back. "Perhaps I should've written you a poem to let you know how I feel. I know a good one, want to hear it? _His eyes are as green as a fresh pickled toad. His hair is as dark as a blackboard. I wish he were mine-_ ow!"

"Oh don't act like you didn't deserve that," Ginny said as Harry massaged his shoulder. "Thick git…"


	98. Chapter 98

"Unbelievable," James said, shaking his head at the Potter's breakfast table as he looked over his issue of _Quidditch Quarterly._ "The Nifflers are considering trading McLevin to the Hippogriffs!"

"What?" Lily frowned, dropping her toast. "Are they mad? McLevin is their best Chaser! Their starting line-up is absolute rubbish without him."

"They did just get a fair Beater from the Tornados," Harry pointed out. "Still, if Nifflers can't manage to score goals…who are they trading McLevin for, James?"

"The Hippogriff Keeper, Thomas Garcia," James said. "He's nothing great…"

"I'll say; he can never decide which hoop to defend," Lily said, rolling her eyes. "Well, at least _my_ Quidditch team has strong team this year."

"You only like the Grindylows because they got that new Seeker," James scoffed. "You're not a true fan."

"I am too," Lily defended. "You're just upset that the Cannons are bound to finish in the bottom of the league _again_."

"At least they have a _loyal_ fan base," James smirked. "Besides, this is going to be their year!"

"You and your Uncle Ron say that same thing every year," Harry said. "And every year the Cannons manage to lose every single game."

"Uncle Ron said you used to like the Canons," James pointed out.

"I went to one match with him a few months after we started at the Ministry, because we got tickets," Harry said. "Doesn't make me a fan. I'll stick to the Harpies."

"You only like them because mum played for them," Lily said.

"That's…a contributing factor," Harry chuckled.

"Morning," Albus yawned, coming into the kitchen.

"Morning, Al," Harry said. "Your mum made breakfast before she went in to work."

"Brilliant, I'm starving," Albus said. "What were you three going on about? I could hear you from the top of the stairs."

"Only the ridiculous news about McLevin," James sighed.

"Who?" Albus asked.

"Amagedon McLevin," Lily said. "The best player the Nifflers have had in ages."

"The Nifflers are a Quidditch team, right?" Albus asked.

James and Lily both exchanged exasperated looks.

"Yes, they are," Harry told his son.

"Oh, cool," Albus shrugged.

"Well, now that we can't talk about Quidditch anymore," James said. "Are you going into the Ministry today, dad?"

"No, unless there's an emergency, it's my day off," Harry replied.

"Excellent!" Lily said. "So you can show us how cast a Patronus! You promised the next time you were off from the Ministry."

"Course you remember that, but you can't remember your chores," Harry said, amused.

" _This_ is important," James said. "I was trying for a bit before term ended, but I couldn't quite get it."

"I almost have it," Lily said.

"Yeah right, you've only just finished your first year," James said.

"So?" Lily countered. "I can get it. Defense Against the Dark Arts is my best subject!"

"Mine too," James retorted. He glanced at Albus. "Can't say the same for you, can we?"

"James…" Harry warned. "Your brother did just fine on his Defense Against the Dark Arts exam this year."

"Yeah, so shut it," Albus said. "Besides, I'm way better than either of you at History of Magic."

"Right, because that will come in handy in the real world," James said, grinning at Lily.

"Enough, you two," Harry said to Lily and James. "Keep it up and nobody will be seeing any Patronuses. Al, would you like to watch too? I know you're only starting your fourth year, but I bet you can get it."

"No thanks, I was going to over and see Rose," Albus said. "And then maybe go down to the muggle village."

"Oh," Harry said. "Well if you change your mind-"

"Sure dad," Albus said, finishing up the last of his breakfast and getting to his feet. "See you lot later. I'll be home for dinner."

"Hey dad, it's a really nice day out," Lily commented as Albus left the kitchen. "Think after you show us Patronuses, we could go for a fly?"

"Oh yeah, we could race," James said. "Lily's becoming somewhat of a worthy competitor."

"Sounds like a plan," Harry grinned.

…..

"Hermione said I'm supposed to bring you these forms to sign," Ron said later that afternoon as he apparated into the Potter's living room, where Harry was sitting, watching the television. "She said you don't have to fill the out today, since it's your day off, but she needs them done by the end of tomorrow."

"And people think being close with the Minister of Magic is a perk?" Harry said, taking the pile of parchment Ron handed him. "It just means she can hunt me down for paperwork even when I'm out of the office."  
"What do you think it's like being married to her?" Ron grinned. "Course seeing as this morning's _Witch Weekly_ had a lovely article about the two of you running off to elope in France this past weekend, I suspect you know all about it."

"Gin and I saw that this morning," Harry chuckled. "Someone took a photo of me holding the door for her as we were going in for a meeting a few days ago."

"A marriage proposal, naturally," Ron smirked.

"Naturally," Harry agreed, shaking his head. "Anyway, is Albus still at your place? Ginny just sent an owl saying she has to stay late to finish editing an article for tomorrow's _Prophet_ , so I was going to take the kids to the Leaky Cauldron for dinner."

"He left a couple of hours ago," Ron said. "Headed into the muggle village."

"Oh that's right, he did mention he was going there," Harry said. "Hopefully he'll be back soon."

"Well if Louranie is there, he'll probably lose track of time," Ron grinned.

"Who?" Harry frowned.

"That was what he said her name was, wasn't it?" Ron said.

"Whose name?"

"The muggle girl he fancies," Ron said. "The one he's been going on about for weeks."

"He fancies someone?" Harry said. "He's never mentioned that…"

"Oh," Ron said quickly. "Well um…must've slipped his mind."

"But he mentioned it to you?" Harry said, confused.

"Um, well, _briefly_ ," Ron said lamely.

"You said he's been going on about her for weeks."

"Ah, well, you know how I exaggerate," Ron said, clearing his throat. "Look…I'm sure it's nothing. He probably doesn't _really_ fancy her, otherwise he would've definitely told you about it. He probably just thinks she has nice hair or something."

Harry didn't respond.

"Really, it's probably nothing at all," Ron said. "Or maybe he thinks that he _did_ tell you about her. I mean you know how forgetful fourteen-year olds are."

"Right," Harry said slowly.

….

"Honestly, I almost shot a Bat-Bogey Hex right at my editor's face," Ginny said later that evening, as she came into her home.

"Hard day?" Harry asked sympathetically.

"First he tells me that the deadline for my interview with the Nimbus representative has been pushed up to tomorrow's issue," Ginny said. "And then, after I worked for seven hours straight to track down the bloke, get the interview, and write up the piece, he comes and tells me that we won't be running it until next week."

"That sounds awful," Harry said as Ginny kicked her shoes off. "Hopefully they come to their senses and make you an editor soon."

"We'll see," Ginny sighed. "Anyway, I'm starving. Please tell me that you cooked."

"Even better; picked up fish and chips from the Leaky Cauldron," Harry told her.

"Knew there was a reason I kept you around," Ginny smiled as Harry handed her a box and fork. "Thank you, love. This is delicious."

"Course," Harry said as Ginny sat down next to him.

"Where are the kids?" Ginny asked. "Did I miss them?"

"I think so; it's been quiet," Harry said. "Which either means they're asleep or up to something…I'm choosing to believe it's the first option."

"Smart," Ginny said.

"Hey, Gin?" Harry said. "Has Albus mentioned a girl named Louranie to you?"

"Hmm? Oh yes, that's the muggle girl he fancies," Ginny nodded. "He's got quite a thing for her. It's so sweet."

"He's told you about her?" Harry said slowly. "Himself?"

"Yes, a few weeks ago while we were having lunch," Ginny said. "Why?"

"He never mentioned her to me," Harry said softly. "I only found out he fancies someone today because Ron mentioned it."

"Oh…" Ginny said.

"How come he never told me?" Harry asked.

"Oh Harry, I'm sure it just slipped his mind," Ginny said quickly.

"But it didn't slip his mind to tell Ron?" Harry frowned. He looked down at the ground. "James told me the second he fancied a girl for the first time…So did Teddy."

"Well, maybe he was planning on telling you soon," Ginny said.

"Yes, but why would he tell you and Ron before me?" Harry sighed.

"Well I'm his mum," Ginny said.

"I know, but something like fancying a girl for the first time…isn't that a father-son kind of thing?" Harry mumbled.

Ginny squeezed his hand. "Don't worry about it so much. It's really not that big of a deal."

"What if Lily told Hermione or Luna something like this before she told you?" Harry asked heavily.

Ginny sighed. "I'd probably be a bit upset," she admitted.

"Ginny…" Harry said heavily. "Do you think Albus and I are close?"

"What?" Ginny frowned. "Of course you are!"

"Like me and James are?" Harry asked. "Or Teddy? Or Lily?"

"What do you mean?" Ginny said.

"I dunno," Harry said. "It' just…sometimes I feel that out of all of the kids, him and I connect the least."

"Oh that's rubbish," Ginny scoffed. "Albus loves you!"

"Yes, but are we _close_?" Harry said. "He didn't come to me about this girl, after all. Maybe he didn't feel like he could."

"Of course you're close," Ginny told him.

"I don't know, Gin," Harry said. "This summer I've spent loads of time with James and Lily, and the only time I've seen Albus is at meal times of if I catch him in the living room before he Floos over to see Rose. I need to make more of an effort with him."

"Well it couldn't hurt to spend some quality time with him," Ginny reasoned. "I'm sure he'd enjoy that. What do you have in mind?"

"Dunno, that's the tough part," Harry sighed. "He doesn't like anything to do with Quidditch…He's not a fan of learning about Defense Against the Dark Arts…oh! He enjoys a lot of those muggle films!"

"That's true," Ginny nodded. "So are you going to watch one with him?"

"Yeah, I'll take him down to the cinema," Harry nodded.

"The place with the stores?" Ginny frowned.

"No, you know it, we've gone there together a few times," Harry said. "The place with the giant screen that shows the movies."

"Oh yes," Ginny nodded. "I'm sure he'd enjoy that."

"Hope so," Harry said.

…

"You know, you have to hand it to the muggles," Albus said later the next evening, as him and Harry stepped out of the theatre. "They're really ahead of the Wizarding world when it comes to entertainment. That was a brilliant movie."

"Really was," Harry agreed. "Glad you could come see it with me, Al. James and Lily really aren't into this sort of thing. Anyway, are you hungry? We could grab some hamburgers if you'd like. There's a restaurant right around the corner."

"Sure," Albus nodded.

The two walked along the sidewalk to the small shop, where they chose a table out on the patio.

"We haven't been to a muggle restaurant in ages," Albus commented as they looked over their menus. "I prefer them to the wizarding restaurants, I think. More modern."

"You really enjoy the muggle world," Harry smiled. "Suppose part of that comes from your grandfather."

"Probably," Albus grinned.

"Speaking of the muggle world," Harry said, clearing his throat. "I've-I've heard you've come to fancy a muggle girl from the village."

"Did mum tell you that?" Albus asked.

"Your Uncle Ron did, actually," Harry replied.

"Oh," Albus said, his cheeks flushing slightly. "Well, um, yes. Her name is Louranie. She's a captain for the girls' football team. She's an excellent halfback. I've only talked to her a few times when I'm home from Hogwarts. Can't tell if she fancies me back, though."

"Oh, well, I'm sure she does," Harry said at once. "Girls have weird sort of ways of letting you know those sort of things, though. They can be a bit…confusing."

"Yeah, I've noticed," Albus agreed. "Ah well, seeing as I'll be leaving for Hogwarts again in two months, no point in getting my hopes up, right?"

"What? That's ridiculous," Harry frowned. "If you really do like this girl, you shouldn't just do nothing."

"But I can't exactly tell her about Hogwarts," Albus frowned.

"Well no," Harry agreed. "But perhaps you could just say you're away at boarding school? Which you will be. You just don't have to mention anything about magic quite yet."

"Yes but how would I, you know, talk to her?" Albus asked.

"Well you could write her," Harry suggested.

"Er, dad, I know you grew up with muggles and everything, but that was years ago," Albus smirked. "They don't 'write' each other anymore. They email and call and text message, none of which I could do thanks to those enchantments at Hogwarts."

"Oh," Harry said lamely. "Well…Al, I'm sure you can figure something out. My point is, you should at least give things a shot. If they don't work out, at least you'll be able to say you did all you could."

"I guess that's a good point," Albus said thoughtfully. "Alright, I won't give up on Louranie yet. Who knows, maybe Rose will be able to figure out a way to charm one of those muggle mobile phones to work at school."

"There you go," Harry said. He cleared his throat somewhat awkwardly. "Albus? I-I was wondering, though…why didn't you come to me about Louranie yourself?"

Albus shrugged. "Dunno…Guess I didn't think it was that important."

Harry sighed. "Albus, I want you to answer this honestly, alright? I really want to know. Do you…do you ever feel-you don't think…you know that-"

"I know that you don't love James and Lily more than me, dad," Albus finished softly.

Harry let out a sigh of relief. "You're absolutely right. I don't. But-But still, I worried that maybe-"

"You three are close," Albus said. "Gryffindors…brilliant at Defense Against the Dark Arts…great flyers. It's alright, I understand."

"What? No!" Harry said. "Well, yes, your brother and sister and I have all those things in common, but that doesn't mean-I don't want you to think-That's not-"

"Dad, relax," Albus said, a small smile appearing on his face. "We're close."

"Yeah?" Harry said, relieved.

"Yeah," Albus nodded. "I know Lily and James have a lot in common with you, but that doesn't bother me. There's a ton of stuff that we do together that they don't like. Like all this muggle stuff! And you went to all my football games before I left for Hogwarts. And you brought me to that dragon ranch for my last birthday…that was the best day of my life! And I can always talk to you about anything; no matter what."

"But not about Louranie?" Harry frowned.

"About _really_ important things," Albus said. "Dad, you were the one who made me realize that being Sorted into Slytherin wasn't going to be the end of the world…I-I don't think I ever told you how important that was to me."

"It was?" Harry blinked.

"Yeah, I mean no one in our entire family has ever been a Slytherin," Albus pointed out. "And it has such a bad reputation…Even without James' teasing, I was scared of what would happen if I got sorted there. But then you let me know that no matter what happened…it would be alright and that my house wouldn't define me. I really needed to hear that."

"Wow," Harry said softly. "I-I'm glad to hear that, Albus."

"Um, look, I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Louraine," Albus said. "Honestly, I didn't think it was such a big deal. But like I said, when it comes to things that are actually important, I know where to find you."

"Good," Harry said, smiling proudly at his youngest son. " _I_ really needed to hear _that_."


	99. Chapter 99

"Camping…she's mad!" Ron said, shaking his head. "Didn't she get enough camping when we were chasing down those bloody horcruxes?"

"Evidently not," Harry grinned. "You and Hermione have a good time. Hopefully it doesn't rain while you're out there."

"I hope Ginny decides to make you lot camp out in the middle of the woods," Ron said, narrowing his eyes. "Then we'll see how funny this is."

"What was that?" Ginny asked, coming into the Potter's living room.

"Hey Gin, wouldn't you like to give camping a try?" Ron asked. "You guys would be more than welcome to borrow our tent once we get back."

"Ugh, no thank you," Ginny cringed. "Camping does not appeal at all to me. I hardly like doing it when we go to Quidditch matches."

"Ha!" Harry smirked triumphantly, stepping over to give his wife a kiss. " _You_ are officially the best."

"Took you until now to know that?" Ginny said, raising an eyebrow. "Anyway, can you watch the kids this afternoon? Since Ron's leaving for his exciting camping adventure, George and Angelina said they could use a bit of help with inventory, so I thought I'd give them a hand."

"Sure," Harry nodded. "I think I'll have another go giving Albus flying lessons."

"No luck still with that?" Ron asked.

"No, poor thing starts getting scared once he's six inches off the ground," Ginny sighed. "Complete opposite of James…"

"Rosie gave Hermione a scare by flying over the roof yesterday," Ron grinned. "She's quite impressive on a broomstick. You know she said she wants to try out for Keeper when she's at Hogwarts? I _knew_ there had to be something she got from me besides her red hair."

"We get enough of the kids trained on broomsticks, we'll be able to put together a pretty good Quidditch match during family dinners," Harry said.

"I call Teddy on my team," Ron said. "That kid's a brilliant Chaser already."

"I was a _professional_ Chaser," Ginny frowned.

" _Was_ ," Ron smirked. "Afraid you're a bit washed up, sis."

"Don't worry," Harry said, putting his arm around his wife. "I suppose I can find room for you on my team."

"Shut it, both of you," Ginny snapped, swatting Harry's arm as him and Ron laughed. "I can fly circles around either of you and you know it."

"Course we know that," Harry said. "We were only joking."

"Speak for yourself," Ron scoffed, looking at his watch. "Alright, I better be getting back home. We'll need to be leaving for the woods soon…blimey I hope the snacks I smuggled from mum's place last me this whole trip."

"I'd be more mad at him, but it seems like he'll be getting his punishment this weekend," Ginny said as Ron disapparated from the room. "Alright, I need to get going as well. I'll pick something up from the Leaky Cauldron for dinner."

"Sounds good," Harry said, giving her a quick kiss. "See you in a bit."

Once Ginny had left, Harry headed into the living room, where his three children were currently watching the television.

"It's a beautiful day out," Harry said. "How about we take the broomsticks out for a fly?"

At once James jumped up from the couch. "Yes!" he exclaimed.

Lily also looked excited, but Albus wore a look of apprehension.

"Come on, Al, you've really been improving," Harry smiled encouragingly at his youngest son.

"Well…alright," Albus said slowly.

"Let's go!" James said, already turning off the television and throwing open the back door that let out to the yard.

After Harry unlocked the broom shed, James grabbed his beloved Junior Nimbus and took off at once, letting out a howl of enjoyment.

"Stay low, James!" Harry warned.

"Alright!" James yelled dismissively. Harry made a mental note to remember to thank Hermione for showing him the charm that he had placed on James' broom that kept it from going above five feet, otherwise he knew he would've been spending the afternoon chasing James down before he was spotted by the neighboring muggle villages.

"I want a broom," Lily pouted, watching James fly enviously.

"When you turn five, just like your brothers," Harry told her. "But in the meantime, you get to ride with me on my broomstick, remember?"

Lily's face lit up, and she hurried over to Harry's Firebolt (which was nearly double her height), and dragged it over to her father.

"Hold on, sweetheart, let me help Albus first," Harry told her, setting out Albus' own Junior Nimbus. "Al, do you remember how to mount the broomstick?"

Albus shook his head.

"Hold your right hand over the broomstick, and say "up"," Harry told him.

"But it never works," Albus pointed out.

"You just have to practice," Harry said. "Even the best Quidditch players had to start with the very basics."

"James got it right away," Albus frowned.

"Don't worry about your brother," Harry said. "Everyone picks things up at their own pace. Now then, go on and have a go."

Albus held his hand out over the broomstick and said: "Up!"

The broomstick didn't budge a bit. Albus tried again, but the broomstick remained motionless. Finally, after nearly a dozen tries, the broomstick finally flew up (although rather shakily) into Albus' hand.

"Brilliant! There you go!" Harry said. "Now you can start flying!"

"I don't want to go high," Albus said, nervously looking at James, who was currently racing around the yard as high as his broomstick would allow him.

"No more than one foot," Harry promised him. "Ready?"

Albus nodded slowly. Harry held onto the end of his broomstick as Albus carefully kicked his feet off the ground, clinging to the handle for dear life. He hadn't even been in the air for five seconds, though, when he let out a yell and tumbled down to the ground.

"Are you okay?" Lily asked, concerned.

"Yes," Albus muttered, his face bright red.

"Lily, why don't you go play on the swings?" Harry suggested, sensing that Albus would prefer not to have an audience at the moment. "I'll call you when we can go fly, alright?"

"Okay," Lily agreed, running over to the small playset across the yard.

"I'm rubbish at this," Albus muttered, crossing his arms.

"No, you're not," Harry said gently. "It's not easy flying a broomstick. It takes quite a bit of practice. James fell too when he was learning."

"Barely," the five-year old scoffed.

"Come on," Harry smiled, dusting the dirt off of Albus's clothes. "Have another try. This time try to keep your balance in the center of the broomstick."

…..

Later that evening, Harry sat in his study, looking through new cases he would be taking on at the Auror department. It was quite late, and he was fairly sure that Ginny was already asleep up in their bedroom. Therefore when he heard footsteps padding into his office, he was fairly surprised.

"Dad?" Albus said, stepping over to his desk.

"Albus, it's after midnight," Harry said. "You should've been asleep hours ago."

"I couldn't sleep," Albus said.

Harry gave him a small smile, patting his lap. Albus climbed up at once, hugging the stuffed phoenix that he had brought in with him tight against his chest.

"What are you doing?" Albus asked his father.

"Oh, just work stuff," Harry replied. "Boring side to being an Auror is the ton of paperwork you get."  
"How come you have to do paperwork?" Albus asked.

"Dunno, records purposes I suppose," Harry said. "All I know is if I don't, your Aunt Hermione comes into my office at the Ministry and tells me off, so I like to try and avoid that as much as possible."

"Oh," Albus nodded simply.

"So why can't you sleep, Al?" Harry asked. "Everything alright?"

"Yes," Albus said slowly.

Harry raised an eyebrow, knowing perfectly well that everything was _not_ alright.

"Just up for the fun of it then?" Harry said. "Alright. Well since you're still up, would you like a midnight snack with me? I was just about to grab one."

Albus nodded eagerly. "I'm _starving_."

"You and your brother are like bottomless pits," Harry chuckled, hitching Albus up onto his shoulders and carrying him off to the kitchen.

"Care for some ice cream?" Harry asked, setting Albus down in a chair at the table.

"Chocolate?" Albus asked.

"I can manage that," Harry said. Once he had prepared Albus a bowl, he handed it to him and sat down across from the young boy, watching him dig in to the dessert right away.

"Thanks, dad," Albus said.

"Just don't mention this to James," Harry winked. "He doesn't know we have that ice cream, and I'd like to keep in the house for at least a few days without it being devoured."

Albus grinned upon hearing this piece of secret information.

"So, reckon this ice cream will help you get back to sleep?" Harry asked casually.

"Um…I dunno," Albus said slowly. He took a deep breath. "Dad, actually I couldn't sleep because I have something _really_ important I need to talk to you about."

Harry couldn't help but feel amused at the serious tone the five-year took on, especially since his lip was currently covered in ice cream. But Harry nodded importantly. "Of course. I'm all ears, Albus."

"Well…dad, I've decided…I don't want to fly anymore!" Albus said, looking right at Harry. "I-I don't like it! I hate being in the air and heights and-and I don't even think Quidditch is that _fun_. I want to stay on the _ground_ and _off_ of a broomstick."

"Ah," Harry said, not all too surprised at what his son had just admitted. "Well, I have just one question, Al. Do you not want to fly because you're taking a bit longer to catch on than James? Or because you _really_ don't like it?"

"Because I don't like it," Albus said softly, and Harry could tell at once that he was being honest. "I'm sorry, dad."

"Sorry?" Harry repeated.

"Yeah, you love to fly," Albus sighed. "And so does mum."  
"Yes," Harry said. "That's true."  
"And you always have so much fun flying with James and Teddy," Albus continued. "And even Lily. You must think I'm the worst son ever for not wanting to fly too."

"Albus, you are a remarkable son," Harry said. "I'm very, _very_ fortunate to have you."

"But-"

"So you don't want to fly," Harry shrugged. "You tried it, didn't you? That's all I can ask. I'm not going to force you to do something you don't like. All this means is that you and I will just need to find other things we enjoy doing together. You have any ideas of things you'd like to try?"

Albus looked thoughtful for a moment. "That game the kids play at the muggle playground…" he said. "The one where they kick the ball."

"Football?" Harry said. "Hmm, that could be fun."

"So we can play it together?" Albus asked.

"You'll have to be patient with me," Harry said. "I've never really played much of it before. But I'm excited to learn with you. We'll go to the park first thing when I get home from work tomorrow and kick the ball around a bit. Just you and me."

"Alright!" Albus said, his face lit up with anticipation. He took the last bite of his ice cream. "So I don't have to do things I don't like? As long as I try them?"

"Uh-huh," Harry nodded.

"Well, I've tried vegetables," Albus said slowly. "And I don't like them. And cleaning my room. And-"

"Oh, your mum's going to murder me for this," Harry sighed.


	100. Chapter 100

**AN-This chapter ties in with an earlier oneshot where Lily wound up being born on Harry's birthday.**

 **…**

The morning of July 31st, Harry was woken from his sleep by the weight of a small figure bouncing onto his chest. He opened his eyes and saw Lily smiling down at him.

"Happy birthday, daddy!" she said.

"Thank you," Harry grinned, slowly sitting up and putting on his glasses. "And happy birthday to you too, Lily Bud."

Lily giggled; she had always been very proud to share a birthday with her father.

"I'm five today," Lily whispered, holding up her tiny hand, to demonstrate with her fingers just how old she was. "How old are you today?"

"Far older than five," Harry chuckled.

"Uncle Ron said you're getting really old," Lily informed him.

"Yes well, next time your Uncle Ron says that, remind him I'm younger than him," Harry yawned. "Alright, I think mummy is still asleep. So let's go downstairs before we wake her and start-"

"Too late," Ginny murmured, stirring next to Harry.

"Sorry," Harry said to his wife as she kicked the covers off of herself.

"I suppose I can make an exception, since it's a special day," Ginny said, holding out her arms for her daughter. "Happy birthday, sweetheart."

"I'm five, mummy!" Lily said.

"I know, you're growing up far too quickly," Ginny sighed, kissing the top of her head. She looked over at her husband. "And happy birthday to you, love." She leaned over and gave Harry a quick peck on his lips.

"Ew," Lily cringed. "Kissing's gross!"

"You're right," Harry said, pulling away from his life. "So you shouldn't be doing it with anybody until you're _twenty-_ five."

"I wouldn't want to kiss anybody _ever_ ," Lily said.

"I'll have to get that in writing from you later," Harry said, amused.

"Alright, I need to finish wrapping birthday presents," Ginny said. "So out you go!"

At the mention of presents, Lily let out an excited gasp and jumped off her parents' bed, rushing out of the bedroom.

"Pretty sure she knows what she's getting from us," Harry said once Lily left. "Her brothers got their first broomstick for their fifth birthdays. I'll bet she wants to go out and fly on it as soon as she opens it."

"Course she will," Ginny said, heading to the closet and retrieving the brand-new Junior Nimbus that had been hidden inside. "Now then, here's your gift."

"Thought I got my gift later tonight," Harry said, raising an eyebrow as he caught the package she tossed over to him.

"You will," Ginny promised. "But I saw something at Diagon Ally the other day that I couldn't resist getting."

" _Twelve Fail-Safe Ways to Charm Witches_ ," Harry grinned, opening the package. "Have I not already managed to charm you?"

"You have," Ginny assured him. "And I know you already have a copy of the book. But I made some notes in the margin…"

"Notes?" Harry chuckled, flipping through the pages of the book. "Let's see…Merlin! You better hope none of the kids ever see this!"

"Well I'd hope you'd have enough sense not to leave that lying around," Ginny said.

"I'll have to read through these notes of yours to prepare for tonight then," Harry chuckled. "Thank you, Gin."

"You're welcome," Ginny said, stepping over to him. She took Harry's hands and pulled him against her, craning her neck to give him another kiss, this one far more passionate than the one she had given him when Lily was with them.

"Happy birthday," Ginny whispered in his ear. "Can't wait to celebrate properly later…Now go. James mentioned something about trying to make you two a birthday cake on his own last night, so I'd rather him not be left alone in the kitchen for too long."

"Got it," Harry nodded.

Down in the Potter's kitchen, Lily was sitting at the table, along with her two brothers.

"Happy birthday, dad!" Albus and James chorused, jumping up to hug their father.

"Thank you," Harry said, hugging them back.

"Can we give you and Lily your presents now?" Albus asked.

"Yes!" Lily nodded at once.

"Let's wait for your mum to get down here," Harry said. "She wouldn't want to miss the fun."

"Is Teddy coming over?" James asked.

"I think so," Harry nodded. "I'm not sure when, though, but he'll be by before we leave for the Burrow so-"

Just then the sound of the fireplace lighting sounded from the living room, and a moment later, Teddy came in, dusting the soot off of his t-shirt.

"Teddy!" Lily exclaimed, bouncing over to her godbrother excitedly. "Guess what day it is today?"

"Hmm," Teddy said playfully. "It's Sunday, isn't it?"

"And…?" Lily urged.

"Oh yes, happy birthday, Harry," Teddy grinned.

"And me!" Lily said. "You forgot me!"

"Nah, I was only joking," Teddy assured her, picking her up and letting her hang off of his shoulders. "I could never forget you. Happy birthday, Lil. You're the real star of the day, no offense, Harry."

"None taken," Harry chuckled as Teddy stepped over to hug him.

"Grandmum sent these over for everyone," Teddy said, setting a large platter of morning buns on the table. "She said to wish you both a happy birthday, and that she'll be seeing you at the Burrow this afternoon."

"These are delicious," Harry said as everyone grabbed a bun.

"Save some for me," Ginny said, joining everybody in the kitchen.

"Mummy's here!" Lily said, jumping up. "Can we open presents now?"

"Well we better, before you explode," Ginny chuckled.

Lily tore through her gifts from her brothers and Teddy. She beamed as she unwrapped the large carton of Chocolate Frogs from James and Albus ("Now I can start collecting my own cards!", she had exclaimed), and the stuffed dragon from Teddy (which he had charmed to change colors whenever Lily desired).

Harry smiled as he opened his own presents (a package of Fizzing Whizbees from Albus and James, and a new pair of Seeker gloves from Teddy).

"I have a present for you too, daddy," Lily said, handing Harry a small box. "Mummy wanted to help me pick it out for you, but I told her I could do it all by myself."

"Well of course, you _are_ five now," Harry said, setting Lily on his lap as he opened up her box. He pulled out a pair of socks covered with tiny golden Snitches.

"Do you like them?" Lily asked.

"I love them," Harry said, kissing the top of her head. "I think I'll wear them today at the Burrow. Now then, would you like your presents from your mum and me?"

"I know what you got," James told Lily as she nodded eagerly.

"Well don't you go spoiling the surprise," Ginny warned him as she handed Lily a round package. "Here's part one, Lily."

"Gee, wonder what _that_ could be," Teddy smirked as Lily opened it. "The wrapping job doesn't give it away at all."

"A quaffle!" Lily exclaimed, holding up the red ball. "It's like the one you have, mummy! Now I can be a Chaser like you!"

"Yes, you can," Ginny chuckled. "Especially once you open your last gift here."

She handed Lily a long, thin package.

"I know what this is!" Lily cried, ripping the wrappings off. "Yes! Finally! I got my own broomstick!"

She picked up her Junior Nimbus and stared admiringly at it. "Can I fly it now? Please?"  
Harry looked over at Ginny, who gave a small nod.

"Come on," Harry told her, getting to his feet. "Let's go."

"Me too!" James shouted, stuffing the rest of his breakfast in his mouth.

The Potter family headed outside. James wasted no time in grabbing his broomstick and kicking off the ground. Albus grabbed Teddy's hand, excited to show him an new trick that he had learned with his football.

"Do you know how to mount your broom?" Harry asked Lily.

"I've seen James do it a million times," Lily nodded. She held her right hand over her broomstick and said: "Up!"

At once, the broomstick flew right into her hand.

"We have a natural, don't we?" Ginny said, grinning at her husband.

"I want to fly somewhere," Lily said, already moving in small circles on her broom. "I'm a really good flyer! Look at me!"

"Looks like our suspicions about her sneaking out here to use James' broomstick were right," Harry muttered to Ginny. He looked up at the sky. "It _is_ cloudy…we could fly low without being spotted. I know a place I can take her that's fairly close to here…"

Ginny sighed. "Oh go on. Only because it's your birthdays. Don't be long, though."

"We won't," Harry said, giving her a quick kiss. He turned back to his daughter. "Alright, Lil Bud, here are the rules. You have to stay right by my side at all times. No trying to do any fancy tricks. And you need to listen to anything else that I tell you."

"Okay!" Lily said at once. "Thank you!"

"Come on," Harry said, picking up his own broom.

Lily stayed right by her father's side as he led them up in the air. Harry was thoroughly impressed with how strong of a flyer his daughter already was.

"We're going to start landing now," Harry told her after a few moments. "So I need you to start slowly going lower."

Lily nodded, concentration etched in her face.

When the two reached a wide, grassy field, Harry landed as quickly as he could so that he could help Lily. He found, though, that he needn't have worry, for Lily landed nearly perfectly (except for a few stumbles).

"You definitely are your mum's daughter, flying that way," Harry chuckled.

"Where is this place?" Lily asked, looking around. "It's so pretty!"

"It is, isn't it?" Harry said. "Your mum and I discovered it a few weeks after we moved into the house. We used to take Teddy here all the time; he loved climbing in the trees."

"How come we don't come here anymore?" Lily asked.

"We all came here once, when you were hardly a year-old," Harry told her. "James and Albus weren't really fans, though. They didn't like all the flowers around; said it was 'too girly'. And Teddy got a bit too old to be climbing around in trees he said."

"Well _I_ think this place is perfect," Lily said.

"I'm glad," Harry said, taking her hand. "Come here, I want to show you something."

He led Lily to a shaded area. There grew a large field of light pink lilies.

"My flower!" Lily grinned, instantly identifying the plants around her. "Lilies!"

"Yes," Harry nodded, sitting down on a tree stump. He reached down and gently picked one and handed it to Lily. "Happy birthday, sweetheart."

"Daddy?" Lily asked, taking the flower. "Were you mad at me when I was born on your birthday?"

"Why on earth would I be mad at you for that?" Harry asked.

"Because I took your special day," Lily said. "And now you have to share it with me."

"Lily,", Harry said. "You were the greatest birthday present I got. I _love_ sharing my birthday with you."

"Good," Lily said, relieved, climbing up onto her father's lap. "Because I love having a birthday with you too, daddy."

Harry smiled as he helped Lily tuck the flower behind her ear.

"Daddy, can we come back here every year?" Lily asked suddenly, looking up at her father.

"You want that?" Harry asked.

"Yes," Lily said. "It can be a trishon!"

"A tradition," Harry corrected her, chuckling. "And I think that's a brilliant idea. Every year on our birthdays, we'll get out the broomsticks and fly out here; just you and me."

"Promise?" Lily said, holding out her pinky; something she had learned recently from her brothers.

"Promise," Harry said, linking his pinky with hers. "Now, we have a bit before we need to fly back home to head to the Burrow. Let's see just how good you are on that broomstick."

…

 _Twelve years later_

"So…Lily's of age now," Ron said to Harry, as the two men sat out in the living room of the Burrow, tucking away large helpings of birthday cake.

"Yup," Harry said heavily.

"Well, she still has one year of Hogwarts left, so it's not like she's going to be leaving you completely," Ron pointed out.

"I suppose," Harry nodded.

"Still pouting, birthday boy?" Ginny asked, coming into the room and settling down next to her husband. "Cheer up; it's your birthday."

"Who said I wasn't cheerful?" Harry asked, giving her a small smile.

"It's so weird, isn't it?" Ginny said. "Having all of our children of age now? I feel as though I'm useless now."

"Well, you shut down my idea of having a fourth one, so you have no one to blame for that but yourself," Harry told her playfully.

"Oh shut it," Ginny said, rolling her eyes as she leaned in to kiss Harry.

"And now I feel nauseous," Ron announced, getting to his feet.

"I think that'd be the four slices of cake you ate," Ginny said.

"No, I'd say it's your obnoxious display of public affection," Ron said, heading out of the room into the kitchen.

"Where is Lily?" Ginny asked Harry once her brother had left.

"Dunno, last I saw she was with Lysander," Harry said. "But that was hours ago. The two of them probably went off somewhere."

"You two aren't going to do your little "Birthday Fly"?" Ginny asked. "You've done it every year for ages now."

"I know," Harry smiled nostalgically. "But she's seventeen now. I doubt she wants to go fly off with her dad. She'd much rather prefer to spend time with her boyfriend. The one _you_ insisted she was old enough to have."

"Well, you still have me," Ginny said.

"I suppose you'll have to do," Harry smirked, putting his arm around his wife.

Just then there was a loud popping sound from the other room, and a moment later, Lily walked into the living room.

"I don't think I fancy apparition too much," she announced. "I think I'll be sticking to the Floo network." She looked over at her father. "Well…you brought your broomstick, didn't you?"

"What?" Harry frowned.

"Oh don't tell me your old age has made your memory fuzzy," Lily grinned. "Have you forgotten about our Birthday Fly?"

"You still want to do that?" Harry asked. "I thought you'd be spending the rest of the evening with Lysander."

"Oh, Ly can wait," Lily said. " _This_ is a tradition."

"Are you two ever going to let me tag along on your Birthday Fly?" Ginny asked in mock offense.

"Only people born on July 31st are allowed," Lily said, reciting the rule she made up years ago, when her brothers used to try and tag along on the special trip.

"Sorry love, those are the rules," Harry told his wife, getting to his feet. "I'll see you back at home, alright?"

"Alright," Ginny smiled. "Have fun, you two."

The two headed out back, where both of their broomsticks were sitting. The kicked up off the ground and flew the all too familiar path to the field of lilies. Once they landed, Harry bent down and picked a lily, as he did every year, and handed it to his daughter. And Lily took it and put it in her long, red hair, just as she did every year.

"You feel any different, now that you're of age?" Harry asked her as they walked through the field.

"Well I can hex James any time he annoys me know, so that's got me in a fairly good mood," Lily said. "And I suppose I can just completely ignore anything you and mum tell me now. So don't be surprised tomorrow when I come home with my hair dyed pink and six earrings in my ears. And two in my nose."

"I'm going to choose to believe you're kidding," Harry said, raising an eyebrow.

"Not about the bit about hexing James," Lily grinned.

"I can live with that," Harry said as the two came to a stop.

The two were silent for a moment as they looked up at the stars, taking in the beautiful sight.

"You really thought I wouldn't want to come here now that I'm all grown up?" Lily asked softly.

"I figured you had better things to do now," Harry admitted.

"But we promised we'd come here every year," Lily said, holding up her pinky as a reminder. "And I, for one, am a witch of her word."

"Except when you say you'll tidy up after yourself in the kitchen," Harry smirked.

"Well, for important things," Lily clarified. "And until you're far too old hold yourself up on a broomstick to fly over here, I'd like to keep this tradition going. If that's alright with you."

Harry smiled as he put his arm around his daughter. "It's quite alright with me."

"Good," Lily said. "Happy birthday, dad."

"Happy birthday, Lily," Harry echoed.


	101. Chapter 101

**AN-Thank you all kind reviews and support for this story!**

 **…**

"I hope you mum makes that potato dish again," Ron said as Hermione took several shirts from the drawer in Hugo's room and placed them into a small suitcase. "That's my favorite."

"I'm sure she will, she knows you love it," Hermione smiled, zipping up the bag. "Right, I think that's it for Hugo's stuff. Did you get Rose's stuff packed up?"

"No," Ron said. "Because when I went into her room to do it, she informed me that she's five-years old, and she can pack her own bag."

"Really?" Hermione chuckled.

"She's far too independent for her own good," Ron nodded. "Gets that from you."

"Well, I suppose you'll just have to go in there once she's asleep tonight and make sure she's got everything," Hermione said. "I'm going to go put this bag in the car."

"Are you going to finally let me drive that thing?" Ron asked, following her out of the room.

"You don't have a license, Ronald," Hermione reminded him. "It's illegal for you to drive without one. If you got pulled over by a police officer, you'd be in serious trouble."

"Well I could just use a confundus charm," Ron pointed out.

" _No_ ," Hermione said firmly.

"Mummy," three-year old Hugo said, approaching his parents. "How long are we going to stay with grandmum and grandpa Granger?"

"Two weeks, sweetheart," Hermione replied.

"Can't Lily come?" Hugo asked. "I'm gonna miss her."

"Aw," Hermione smiled. "I know you will. But Lily's going with her parents to Greece. Maybe next time she can come with us. Now why don't you go get your sister; it's almost time for dinner."

"What time are we supposed to be leaving tomorrow morning," Ron asked as Hugo went off to fetch Rose.

"I'd like to be out of the house by five," Hermione said.

"Five?" Ron exclaimed. "Bloody hell, woman, don't you need sleep?"

"Well you and the kids can sleep in the car," Hermione reminded him. "I'll just turn in early tonight."

"Now I'm not so upset about not driving," Ron said as the two children came padding into the kitchen.

"I'm starving," Rose announced as she sat down at the table.

"Well you're in luck," Ron said. "Grandmum brought by stew."

"Are you guys excited to be going to see your other grandparents?" Hermione asked the children, handing them steaming bowls.

"Uh-huh," Rose nodded. "I love seeing grandmum and grandpa Granger. They give us lots and lots of presents."

"That's because you two are their only grandchildren," Ron chuckled. "You don't have to share them with a ton of cousins like you do with my parents."

"Mum?" Hugo asked. "How come we never see grandmum and grandpa Granger use magic?"

"They can't use magic, Hugo," Hermione said patiently.

"How come?" Hugo asked.

"Because they're muggles," Rose told her brother.

"Really?" Hugo gasped. "I never knew that."

"That's because you're only three," Rose said wisely. "I knew because I'm five, so I'm much smarter than you."

"Rose, that isn't nice," Hermione told her daughter. She turned back to Hugo. "The last time you saw them, I suppose you were a bit too young to notice that they were muggles."

"So they don't have wands or anything?" Hugo said, amazed. "Like Aunt Audrey?"

"That's right," Hermione said.

"But-But how come you can do magic then?" Hugo asked.

"Lots of witches and wizards with two muggle parents can do magic," Ron said.

"Really?" Hugo said. "Cool."

"Mummy? Daddy?" Rose asked. "Someone who had muggle parents is a mudblood, right?"

Ron nearly dropped the bowl of stew he was carrying and Hermione's eyes widened in shock.

"Rose, _where_ did you hear that word?" Ron asked sternly.

"A boy said it at the daycare center at the Ministry," Rose replied. "Is it a bad word?"

"Yes," Ron said at once. "And you are to never say it."

"How come it's bad?" Hugo asked Rose.

"I don't know," Rose said.

"I thought you knew _everything_ ," Hugo frowned.

"It's a word you shouldn't say, but…you were going to hear it at some point," Hermione sighed.

"But why's it bad?" Rose asked. "It's not bad to have muggle parents."

"No," Hermione agreed. "It's not. But…there are some people who think that having muggle blood makes you less of a witch or wizard. And people like that call muggle borns "mudbloods". And a while ago, those people did horrible things to anybody who had muggle parents, or anybody who tried to stop them."

"How come?" Rose frowned.

"They thought that being Pureblood made them superior," Hermione replied.

"That's dumb," Hugo said.

Hermione smiled. "I'm glad you think so."

"Do people still do horrible things to people who are muggle born?" Rose asked.

Ron and Hermione exchanged looks.

"It's a lot better now, for people who are muggle born," Hermione said slowly. "But…there _are_ still people out there who think that muggle borns shouldn't be allowed in the magical community. _But_ , they have to keep their prejudices to themselves now. It's not a complete victory, of course, but it's a start."

"But mummy," Rose said. "If that 'm' word is a bad word, how come the scar on your arm says it?"

For the first time in her life, Hermione regretted teaching her daughter to read at such an early age.

"Your mother fought all those years ago to make sure that people who wanted to get rid of all the muggle borns were stopped," Ron said. "And she was brilliant; your mum's a hero. But, well, even heroes get battle scars."

"You stopped the bad people?" Hugo said to his mother, his eyes filled with awe. "Whoa!"

"Your dad helped too," Hermione said, smiling up at her husband.

"You did?" Rose grinned, turning to her father.

"I suppose I did," Ron chuckled. "And your Uncle Harry did a couple of things too."

"Whoa, mum and dad are heroes, Rose!" Hugo said. "And you didn't know it! You _don't_ know everything! Ha!"

"I still know more than you," Rose said, sticking her tongue out at her brother. "I can read and you can't!"

"Well I know fifteen different kinds of dragons!" Hugo retorted.

"I know twenty!"

"You do not!'

"Do too!"

"I suppose we're lucky if their biggest arguments are about who knows the most," Ron said to Hermione.

"Of course we're lucky," Hermione said. She craned her neck and kissed Ron gently on the lips. "Thank you for that "hero" speech, by the way. It seemed to satisfy Rose's question enough…"

"You _are_ a hero," Ron said, kissing her back. "But…you ever think you'll tell them how you really got that scar?"

"Yes," Hermione said softly, absentmindedly tracing her thumb across her forearm. "But not now…they're too young to understand, even being as smart as they are. But one day I will."


	102. Chapter 102

"Dad, Albus keeps messing up my toys," three-year old James moaned, coming into the living room, where Harry was gently rocking newborn Lily in his arms, trying to get her to sleep. "He knocked over all my blocks! Tell him to stop!"

"James, we've been over this," Harry sighed. "Albus isn't ruining your toys on purpose. He's just trying to play with you. Why don't you _show_ him how to play with your blocks properly? I'm sure he'd like that."

"No," James pouted. "I don't want to play with him right now. Can I watch cartoons?"

"Fine," Harry conceded, feeling so tired himself that all he wanted to do was avoid an argument. He grabbed the remote and turned on the television. "Not so loud, though. Your mum is sleeping, and I'm trying to get Lily to do the same."

"All she _does_ is sleep," James pointed out.

"All babies do that," Harry smiled. "You and Al were the same way when you were her age."

Just then Albus toddled into the room.

"I watch too!" he said, pointing to the T.V.

"No, Albus," James said firmly. " _I'm_ watching."

"He can watch with you," Harry said, helping his youngest son onto the couch.

"No!" James moaned. "Go away, Albus!"

"No!" Albus said. "I watch too!"

"No!" James said loudly.

Suddenly, Lily's eyes flew open and she let out a loud scream.

"James, now you woke up your sister," Harry frowned, rubbing Lily's back soothingly. "I _told_ you not to be so loud."

"Albus was being loud too!" James said.

"Yes, but _you_ know better," Harry said, taking the remote and turning the television back off.

"My cartoons!" James cried.

"I need to get Lily back to sleep," Harry said. "The noise will keep her up."

"She's being a baby," James muttered.

"She _is_ a baby," Harry said. "Now go off and play _quietly_. Maybe once I get Lily back to sleep you can watch the telly."

"Babies are the worst," James huffed, stomping out of the room. He headed into the kitchen, where paper and crayons were sitting at the table. Figuring he may as well get some art work done, James sat himself at the table and began working on a picture for his grandparents.

"Me too!" Albus said, attempting to climb into the chair next to James.

"No way!" James groaned. "I played with you all morning, Albus. I want to color _by myself_."

"No! Me too!" Albus insisted.

James let out a loud sigh.

"Fine!" he conceded, jumping down and helping his younger brother into the chair. "But you color your _own_ picture this time."

He shoved some crayons and papers over to his brother and then sat back down to continue his own picture, smiling to himself as he thought of how pleased his grandmum would be when he showed her this picture at the next Sunday dinner.

"It needs stickers," James decided out loud, examining the piece. He quickly headed out of the kitchen and up to his room, grabbing a page of star stickers he had gotten from a muggle shop Hermione had taken him to once. Excited to finish decorating his picture, James returned to the kitchen. He stopped in his tracks, though, when he saw Albus sitting in his seat, scribbling all over the picture he had worked so hard on.

"Albus!" James yelled, rushing over and yanking the crayon from the toddler. "That was _my_ picture! I said color on your own!"

Albus stuck out his lower lip and began to cry loudly.

"What's going on in here?" Harry demanded, running into the kitchen. He spotted Albus in tears, and immediately turned to James. "James Sirius Potter, what did you do to your brother?"

"N-Nothing," James said, looking at the floor.

"Mean!" Albus sniffed, pointing to James.

"James, how many times have your mum and I told you, you need to play nicely with your brother," Harry said, picking up Albus to comfort him. "You're the oldest!"

"But he-"

"I don't want to hear it," Harry said. "We've been over this a million times now. You go up to your room. If you can't behave out here then you'll just have to spend some time in there."

"What?" James exclaimed. "No fair!"

He turned and stormed out of the kitchen.

"No one cares about me anymore around here!" he yelled as he stomped up the stairs. "You and mummy just care about dumb Albus and dumb Lily!"

And with that, he slammed his door shut, causing Lily, who had been asleep out in the living room, to let out a loud wail.

…..

About an hour later, James was still sitting in his room, angrily scowling as he sat on his bed, hugging his stuffed dragon close to his chest and staring up at the ceiling.

Just then then there was a knock at the door, and Harry poked his head in.

"James," he said gently. "James, you know you can come out of your room now."

"No," James said simply, turning away from his father.

"James, I'm sorry I got angry with your earlier," Harry said, crossing the room and sitting down at the foot of the bed. "Mummy and daddy are just very tired right now, trying to keep up with all three of you."

James said nothing.

"Listen…you know it's not true what you said earlier," Harry said. "Of course we care about you. Just as much as we care about your brother and sister."

"No you don't," James said softly.

"Yes, we do," Harry said. "But can you tell me why you think that we don't?"

"Because," James said, sitting up. "I'm always the one that gets into trouble. Not Albus or Lily."

"Right…" Harry said slowly. "Well, James, see, Lily-Lily's six-weeks old. There's not exactly a lot she can do to get in trouble right now."

"She yells and cries really loudly," James said. "And if I'm loud, I get in trouble."

"Ah," Harry said. "I see your point. But Lily is crying and being loud because that's how she lets us all know that she needs something. She can't talk, can she? You can."

James pondered this for a moment. "Oh…Okay, I guess that's okay then. But what about Albus? He's always messing up my stuff and _I'm_ the one who gets yelled at! He scribbled all over my picture for grandmum and grandpa even though I told him not to, and you yelled at me, not him!"

Harry frowned. "I didn't know he did that…Although, I suppose I didn't give you much of a chance to explain yourself down there, did I?"

James shook his head.

"I'm sorry, James," Harry said. "Your right. What happened downstairs just now wasn't fair. And you know what? I'll sit down with Albus and talk to him about respecting your things."

"You will?" James said, surprised.

"Yes," Harry promised. He pulled James into his lap. "I know your mum and I have been asking a lot of you lately, being the older brother."

"I _like_ being the older brother," James said. "I like making Lily laugh and showing Albus how to do things… _sometimes._ "

"You're a really good big brother, you know that?" Harry smiled.

"I am?" James asked.

"Absolutely," Harry nodded. "Your mum and I are very proud of how responsible you've become lately."  
James beamed proudly.

"But you do have to realize, sometimes you'll need to be patient with Albus and Lily," Harry continued. "They _are_ younger than you. They don't know all the things that you do yet."

"Okay," James agreed.

"And we'll make sure that you're being heard more," Harry told his son. "And that we get your side of the story when something happens between you and Albus. And Lily, once she's older. Does that sound good?"

"Yes," James smiled.

"Good," Harry said, hugging James tightly. "I love you, James."

"I love you too, daddy," James said.

"You know, Lily's still asleep," Harry said. "And your mum's awake now and is playing with Albus. How about you and go for a ride on my broomstick."

"Really?" James gasped excitedly.

"Let's go," Harry grinned, helping James onto his shoulders. "Maybe we'll even let the Snitch out."


	103. Chapter 103

"Taste this," Ginny said to Harry, as he came into the kitchen.

"What is it?" Harry asked hesitantly, looking at the large pot on the stove.

"French onion soup," Ginny replied. "I followed the recipe mum uses, but I think it tastes off…"

Harry picked up a spoon and sampled a bit of the soup from the pot. At once, he let out an involuntary gag, which he tried to quickly cover up with a cough.

"It's…good," Harry said lamely as Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Oh don't patronize me, it's terrible, isn't it?" she said.

"I wouldn't say terrible," Harry said. "It's…different."

"Can I get you a bowl of it, then?" Ginny asked.

"Er…I'm not really hungry at the moment," Harry said.

"Exactly," Ginny said, pointing her wand at the pot, causing the contents to vanish. "Well, lucky for you lot, I've asked Kreacher to prepare dinner tonight. He's doing the cooking at Grimmauld Place, and he'll be bringing it over when he's done."

"Then why'd you bother with the soup?" Harry asked.

"Oh, I don't know," Ginny said. "I finished writing my article for tomorrow early, and you were at work all day. There was nothing better to do. I can't wait until Victoire and Teddy have their baby in a few months. It will be so nice having a little one around here again."

"Yes," Harry nodded. "It will. But hey, we'll have a full-house tonight. What time did you tell the kids to be here?"

"Seven," Ginny said. "So hopefully Kreacher is almost done with-"

Just then there was a loud popping sound, and the old, wrinkled House Elf appeared in the kitchen, carrying two large platters of food.

"Kreacher has finished cooking, Master Potter," Kreacher said as Harry hurried to help the elf with the plates. "Roast beef, buttered peas, rosemary potatoes, and for dessert, a lovely three-layer pudding. Kreacher hopes everything is to Master's liking."

"Looks amazing, Kreacher," Harry said appreciatively.

"I hope you saved some for yourself," Ginny said. "If not, you're more than welcome to eat here with us if you'd like."

"Kreacher has prepared himself his own dinner," Kreacher said. "That he will eat in Master Reguls' room."

"Right," Harry nodded. "Well, have a good night then, Kreacher. Thanks for dinner."

"Good night, Master," Kreacher said, bowing low.

"If the kids ask, I made this," Ginny said as she began setting the plates on the table.

"They won't buy that," Harry scoffed, earning him a glare from his wife. Luckily, there was a light pecking sound at the window, and Harry hurried over to answer it.

"It's Lily's owl," Harry said, letting the small, barn owl inside. He took the letter that had been attached to its ankle and opened it up.

"What is it?" Ginny asked. "Is she alright?"

"Yes, but she said she'll be brining Lysander over with her tonight."

"Oh, that's fine," Ginny said. "Kreacher made plenty of food."

"Don't you mean _you_ made plenty," Harry grinned.

"Shut it," Ginny smirked, just as the roar of the fireplace sounded from the living room. Her and Harry headed out of the kitchen to see their two grown sons wiping soot from their robes.

"Hi, loves," Ginny said, stepping over to kiss each of them on the cheek.

"Hi mum," James said. "Is dinner ready yet?"

"Yes, but you have to wait for Teddy and Victoire," Ginny replied. "And your sister and Ly as well."

"Well they better hurry it up," Albus said. "I'm starving. I haven't eaten since morning; I spent all day trying to give a potion to our pregnant Welshback at the clinic."

"And I just finished off a six-hour practice," James said. "Can't we just start without them and-"

He was cut off by a loud crack, and Teddy and Victoire, who was currently six-months pregnant, apparated into the living room.

"Is dinner ready?" Teddy asked at once.

"Hello to you too," Harry smirked as Ginny gave him and Victoire a kiss.

"Vic, make sure you raise your son with better manners than your husband," Ginny said.

"Of course I will," Victoire said, smiling at Teddy.

"Mum, seeing as Victoire is pregnant, we surly can't make her wait for Lily to eat," James pointed out. "Who knows how long her and Lysander will be; both of them are late for everything as it is."

"If Victoire is hungry, I'd be more than happy to get her a plate," Ginny said. "But everybody who is _not_ pregnant will wait until everybody is here before they eat."

"Well, mum, dad, I suppose this is as good a time to tell you as any," James said heavily. "I'm pregnant. Congratulations on another grandchild on the way. Come on, Vic, let's get some food."

"James…" Ginny sighed as Harry tried to stifle a laugh.

Just then, the fireplace began to glow green again, and Lily and Lysander stumbled out onto the floor of the living room.

"Finally!" Albus said as Lysander helped Lily to her feet. "What took you two so long? We're starving over here!"

"Calm down, we're not late," Lily snapped.

"That's right, I made sure of that," Lysander nodded. "Because, you know, I'm not someone who is late…I'm punctual, which of course is an admirable characteristic, no?"

"What?" Lily frowned as she greeted her parents.

"Nothing," Lysander said quickly.

"Then let's _eat_ ," James said. "It smells delicious. Kreacher really outdid himself."

"Who says Kreacher made that meal?" Ginny frowned as everyone headed into the kitchen.

" _Did_ he make it?" Albus asked.

"That doesn't matter," Ginny said. "What matter is we're finally having a nice family meal together. It's been far too long since we've all seen one another. So how is everyone? Vic, Teddy, did you finish your nursery yet?"

"Not yet," Teddy replied, spooning potatoes onto his plate.

"We keep changing out mind about which colors to use," Victoire explained.

" _We_?" Teddy grinned. " _I've_ said a million times I'd be fine with blue."

"Yes, but what _shade_ of blue, Teddy?" Victoire pointed out. "There's cerulean, turquoise, teal-"

"Well, let us know when you pick a color," Harry said. "We'll come by and help you set up the nursery."

"How has practice been, James?" Ginny asked.

"Long," James said. "And wet. Rained every day this week at practice, but we still didn't let up. Our captain is a drill sergeant or something…"

"Consider it payback for all those practices you made the us have in the pouring rain when you were captain of the Gryffindor team," Lily smirked.

"And we won the Quidditch Cup every year I was captain, didn't we?" James snapped. "Didn't hear you complaining then."

"I complained plenty each time I got sick from playing with soaking wet robes in freezing temperatures," Lily replied.

"You were a better player for that," James said. "Thanks to my tutelage, you were surprisingly a decent Chaser. Probably could've made it in the professional leagues if you hadn't decided to become an Auror instead."

"Probably could've," Lily smirked. "Speaking of which, anybody up for a round of Quidditch after dinner?"

"Obviously," James said. "I've got Teddy on my team!"

"I'll take mum," Lily added quickly.

"I can keep score with Victoire," Albus offered.

"You going to play, Ly?" Lily asked her boyfriend.

"Oh, no, I um, think I'll sit this one out," Lysander said.

"You sure?" Lily asked.

"I'm sure," Lysander said.

"Well what about you, dad?" James asked. "You can try and finally catch the Snitch before me for a change. You haven't been able to do that in, what, a decade?"

"I can still catch a Snitch before you, thank you very much," Harry said simply. "But I'm afraid I'll have to sit this one out as well. My broom handle has quite a few slinters I need to take care of before I can fly it. Come by in a few days and we'll set a Snitch out and I'll prove to you that I can still catch the thing right under your nose."

"Challenge accepted," James grinned. "Anyway, since Al here is too shy to tell everyone, I'll let you all know. He's got himself a little girlfriend."

"What?" Ginny smiled. "Is this true, Albus?"

"Yeah," Albus said, glaring at his brother. "It is. Her name is Madeline. She lives in Romania; met her at a pub a few weeks ago."

"Very nice," Harry said to his youngest son. "We're happy for you, Al."

"How come you didn't bring her by for us to meet her?" Lily asked.

"Er, she's a muggle, see," Albus explained. "And I still haven't explained the whole magic thing to her yet."

"So how have you explained you working with dragons to her?" Victoire asked. "And all those other magical creatures."

"I told her I'm a vet," Albus said.

"A what?" Ginny asked.

"It's a muggle profession," Lysander said. "They're like doctors, but for animals. My dad uses that as his cover all the time when he's working in muggle villages."

"Well, hopefully it works out for you, with this girl, Albus," Ginny said.

"I hope so too," Albus said. "I know we've only been dating for a few weeks, but…it's such an amazing feeling I get when I'm around her. Do you know what I'm talking about?"

"Yes," Lysander said at once, looking down at Lily, who blushed as she smiled back up at him.

James let out a loud gag, causing his little sister to kick him under the table.

"Ow!" James hissed. "Mum!"

"You deserved that," Ginny said simply.

…..

Later that evening, when everybody was outside in the Potter's backyard, Harry sat in the kitchen, finishing up the last of the dishes. Thinking he might try to charm Ginny into letting him borrow her broomstick so he could join in the Quidditch game for a bit, he turned around only to see Lysander walking into the kitchen.

"Oh, hey there, Ly," Harry said. "Thought you were outside with everyone else."

"I was," Lysander said, looking nervous. "But…I wanted to talk to you for a moment. If that's okay."

"Course," Harry nodded. "Is everything alright?"

"Um, yes," Lysander said, fidgeting with the hem of his shirt.

Harry frowned. Lysander was never nervous around him (except for a few days after Harry had caught him and Lily snogging in the garden when they were sixteen). After all, Harry had known him his whole life.

"What is it then?" Harry asked. "Is it Lily?"

"Sort of," Lysander said slowly. "Um…Harry, I-I really love Lily. She's honestly the best thing in my life, and I'm so lucky to be with her. I don't know what I would do if I didn't have her. I love her more than anything."

And at that moment, Harry knew exactly what Lysander was about to ask him.

"I-I've known I want to spend my life with her for a long time now," Lysander continued. "But I think the time is finally right. So, er, I-I'd like to know if you-if you'd-"

"You want my blessing," Harry finished for him softly. "To marry Lily."

Lysander nodded, looking right at Harry.

"I promise, I'll always take care of her," Lysander said. "Well, to be perfectly honest, she can take care of herself; she's an Auror, after all, but I'll be there for her whenever she needs me. No matter what. And I'll do whatever-"

"Lysander," Harry cut him off. "I know you love Lily. And I know she loves you. And I know you two are ready to spend your life together. So of course, you have my blessing."

"I do?" Lysander exclaimed, a huge grin breaking out over his face. "Thank you, Harry!"

"I'm lucky Lily has found someone like you," Harry said, stepping over and pulling his future son-in-law into a fatherly embrace.

"That means a lot," Lysander said.

"Well when are you going to do it then?" Harry asked.

"I've got a ring already," Lysander said. "And we were going to be going on holiday at the end of the month. I think I'll do it then; make it special."

"I'm sure whatever you have planed will be perfect," Harry said. "Listen…just take care of her, alright? I know you will, but she's my little girl, and, well, I've got to say it."

"I will," Lysander nodded.

"Well then," Harry grinned. "Welcome to the family."


	104. Chapter 104

"Oi," Harry said, walking into the back of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, where Ron was busy levitating several boxes of products onto high shelves. "You need to convince Hermione to take her maternity leave already."

"Lost cause," Ron said simply, climbing down from his ladder. "You think I haven't tried? Getting Hermione to stop working, even in her state, is impossible."

"Isn't her due date in a week?" Harry asked.

"Five days," Ron corrected. "She should've started her leave two weeks ago, but she says she's still fully capable to work. Why are you so bothered by that? I'm the one who should be stressed about it."

"You don't work with her," Harry said darkly. "This morning she kicked me in the shins five times during a meeting because I was breathing too loudly. And then during our lunch break, she ate all of my crisps. And then _then_ she got mad at me for not using the right color ink on a bunch of forms I signed for her."

"Well try living with her," Ron said. "She spent this morning crying because her socks didn't fit properly."

"I have my own pregnant wife to live with, thanks," Harry said. "Between the two of them, I'm going to go mad!"

"Oh, yeah, that does sound rough," Ron said. "Alright, fine, I'll _see_ if I can convince Hermione to take her leave. But I'm telling you, _lost cause_."

"Well do what you can," Harry said, sitting down and kicking his feet up on a pile of boxes. "Alright, I'm supposed to be out picking up Ginny some ice cream. I figure I can hide out here for about twenty minutes before she gets made at me for taking too long. I just need a break from-"

"There you are, Ron," Hermione suddenly said, walking back into to the room. "George said you were doing inventory. Harry! What are you doing here?"

"Er, I was just saying hi to Ron," Harry said.

"Well you left your ID badge in your office," Hermione said, tossing Harry a lanyard.

"Oh, thanks," Harry said.

"You really need to work on your memory," Hermione said firmly. "You can't leave such important things lying around! What are you going to do when I start my maternity leave?"

"Seeing as you _haven't_ started it yet…" Harry muttered under his breath.

"Oh, I see, so you're counting the days until I'm out of the office and you can do whatever you please?" Hermione snapped.

"That's not what I said!" Harry said quickly. "All I meant was-You're right, I need to work on my memory. Thanks for bringing my badge back."

"Oh," Hermione said, calming down. "You're welcome."

"Why don't you sit, love?" Ron said, giving his wife a quick kiss. "I shouldn't be much longer."

"Alright," Hermione agreed. "I brought some paperwork I need to finish going over with Harry anyway."

"Er, I actually need to go get some ice cream for Ginny," Harry said, jumping to his feet.

"Fine," Hermione said. "Then I'll see you first thing in the morning to go over everything."

"Sounds…lovely," Harry said as Ron flashed him a sympathetic smile.

"How was work?" Ron asked as Harry left.

"Busy," Hermione said, pushing a few strands of hair from her eyes as she pulled a pile of folders form her bag. "I hardly got a moment to sit all day."

"Well then don't you think it'd be a good time to start your maternity leave?" Ron pointed out. "You were meant to start two weeks ago."

"And what would I do on my maternity leave?" Hermione snapped. "Sit around the house alone all day? I'd go stir-crazy."

"Come on, it could be sort of nice," Ron offered. "You could catch up on some reading, watch some television-"

"I'd prefer to work," Hermione said firmly. "The healer said the baby is doing just fine, and my working isn't hurting her, so I see no reason why I need to-"

"Alright, alright," Ron said quickly. "Well in five days when little Rosie makes her entrance, I hope you'll take a break from working."

"Course," Hermione smiled. "I imagine it would be pretty hard to be signing forms during that whole process."

"Most likely," Ron agreed, bending down to give her another kiss.

…..

Five days later, Hermione was stirred from her seat by her husband gently shaking her shoulder.

"Hermione?" Ron whispered. "Hermione, is it time yet?"

"No!" Hermione snapped, pulling herself into a sitting position. She looked at the clock on her bedside table. "Ron, it's five in the morning!"

"Sorry," Ron said. "But-But today's the due date. I was just making sure you weren't in labor."

"I think I'll _know_ when I'm in labor," Hermione said, rolling her eyes as she made to get out of bed.

"Well then why don't you go back to sleep?" Ron said. "I can get you some extra blankets if you like."

"No, no, I don't think I'll be able to fall back to sleep," Hermione replied. "I might as well shower and get ready for work."

"Work?" Ron sputtered. " _Surly_ you're not going into work today! It's your _due date_."

"I feel fine, Ron," Hermione said. "I'm not having contractions. Honestly, she's probably not going to come today."

"But it's the _due date_ ," Ron said weakly.

"Yes, and most babies aren't born on their due date," Hermione said. "Didn't you listen to the healer our last appointment? Ginny had James almost a week after her due date."

"But I still think you should stay home," Ron said. "What if you _do_ wind up going into labor today? Wouldn't you rather it be at home?"

"I have the Portkey set up that will take me right to St. Mungo's," Hermione said. "And I'll send a Patronus to you right away. Plus Harry will be there if I need help with anything."

"I know, but…can't you please just rest," Ron said. "For me?"

"Ron, I'm _fine_ ," Hermione said firmly. "Don't fuss over me. I really don't think she's going to come today. And if I feel _any_ discomfort, I'll come home and start my maternity leave, okay?"

Ron sighed. "Alright," he agreed.

….

"Aren't you supposed to be having a baby today?" Harry frowned as Hermione walked into his office.

"You know perfectly well that due dates are hardly accurate," Hermione said. "And good morning to you too."

"Morning," Harry said, quickly pointing his wand at the chair across his desk to clear off some of the clutter for her. "But shouldn't you be resting at least?"

"I'm pregnant, not immobile," Hermione said. "Now then, can I have your paperwork from the Rolwat arrest? I'd like to start getting it ready for his trial coming up."

"You can…" Harry said slowly. "In a few hours, after I finish it up…"

"You haven't finished it?" Hermione exclaimed. "Harry! You need to start being more on top of your paperwork! You _know_ it's all supposed to be finished as soon as the arrest is complete!"

"I know," Harry said. "It slipped my mind. Just give me a bit and I'll have it to you before lunch, alright?"

"Alright," Hermione reluctantly agreed.

"Er, are you _positive_ you wouldn't rather be home right now, starting your leave?" Harry asked, standing up to help Hermione heave herself to her feet. "I can send the paperwork over and you can do it from bed."

"No, no, I'll be far more productive here," Hermione said. "I'll be back in a bit for those files, Harry."

Once Hermione left, Harry sat back at his desk, only to be interrupted again by Ron letting himself into the office.

"Have you seen Hermione?" Ron asked.

"You just missed her, actually," Harry said.

"Does she seem alright?" Ron questioned.

"As much as one can be, being nine-months pregnant, I suppose," Harry nodded. "Why don't you go see her yourself?"

"She'd yell at me for checking up on her at work," Ron replied, massaging his temples. "I forgot I took off from the shop today because I _thought_ the baby would be coming. Now I have nothing to do but worry over her. She'd make my life about ten times easier if she'd just _rest_ until Rose comes."

"Yes, but what are the odds of Hermione actually doing that?" Harry smirked. "Look, I'll check in on her for you and keep you updated."

"Thanks," Ron said gratefully. "Was Ginny like this towards the end?'

"Yes," Harry said at once. "I told you, it gets worse towards the end. Thankfully right now she's just in the stage where she wants to eat around the clock, which is fine by me. And the Quidditch league forced her to take leave, so she has no choice _but_ to rest. Well…as much rest as she can get with James."

"Well I just hope Rose makes her appearance soon," Ron said, running his fingers through his hair. "I don't know how much more of this I can take."

….

"Ronald! I've told you a million times to keep your Quidditch magazines off of my desk in the study!" Hermione snapped several evenings later.

"Sorry," Ron said. "I'll go move them now."

"Well Crookshanks got to them," Hermione fumed. "And I wasn't stooping down in this state to save them."

"Right," Ron nodded, trying to hold back a moan. "Well no matter, they weren't important. Here, come get off your feet. Why don't I rub your back for you?"

At once Hermione's angry expression changed, and she let out a soft sob as she stepped forward and threw her arms around her husband.

"Oh Ron, thank you," she sniffed. "You've been so _wonderful_ through this whole pregnancy. And I've been _awful_ to you."

"No you haven't," Ron assured her.

"Yes, I have," Hermione said. "I've yelled at you, sent you out for snacks every hour of the night-"

"I'm happy to do those things," Ron told her. "You're carrying our _child_ , Hermione. Nothing that I'm doing right now even comes close to that."

Hermione gave him a small smile as she wiped her eye. "Well in that case, do you think you would mind getting me some Jelly slugs?"

"Course," Ron smiled, pointing his wand to the kitchen, where a large pack of the candy came flying out. "I picked some up this morning. I figured you'd want more."

"I love you," Hermione said, opening up the bag as she sat down on the couch. She rested a hand on her stomach. "Oh Rose, I wish you'd hurry up and get here. I'm ready to be done with being pregnant."

"When did the healer say they'd have to do that inducing thing?" Ron asked.

"At two weeks past the due date," Hermione sighed. "Which will be at the end of this week. Ginny said she's going to send over some hot candies that she used when she was trying to speed things along with James; maybe those will work."

Just then, right on cue, Harry apparated into the living room with a loud crack. He was carrying James in one hand, and a small bag in the other.

"Hey," Harry said, stepping over to the couple. "I take it still no luck?"

"Rose must have gotten her sense of timing from Ron," Hermione said.

James held his arms out towards Hermione, a big smile on his face. "My-me!"

"Hello, James," Hermione beamed, taking the child from Harry. "How are you, love?"

"You knew she wouldn't snap at you if you brought James," Ron whispered to Harry, grinning.

"Exactly," Harry whispered back. He handed Hermione the bag of candy. "Here you go. Ginny was eating about four of these an hour, and she was in labor with James by the end of the night. Hope they have the same effect for you."

"I hope so too," Hermione said. "Thanks for bringing them by, Harry. And give Ginny my best; how is she?"

"She's doing fine; her morning sickness is worse this time around, but right now she says that's the only thing bothering her. We're going to find out if we're having a boy or a girl next week at our appointment."

"Any guesses?" Ron asked.

"Ginny has a feeling we're having another boy," Harry smiled, leaning down to give Hermione a quick hug and to get his son. "But we'll see. Anyway, I need to go pick-up Teddy from school. Send word whenever Rose _does_ decide to come."

"Alright," Hermione said, waving at James before Harry disapparated. She turned back to Ron. "It's going to be nice having Harry and Ginny's baby be around the same age as Rose. They'll grow up being best friends. I know her and James will be close, but he's probably going to be spending most of his time with Louis and Fred."

"Yeah, reckon we can get a lot of babysitting out of them," Ron said, kicking his feet up on the coffee table as he put his arm around Hermione.

"Ron, you're going to leave marks on the table," Hermione said, rolling her eyes.

"And what about you?" Ron pointed out, nodding over at her own feet resting on the table.

Hermione raised an eyebrow as she popped a few of the candies into her mouth.

"Right, your pregnant, you can do whatever you please," Ron smirked. "I can't wait for that excuse to be done with."

"These are really hot," Hermione frowned, popping a few more of the candies into her mouth.

"Can I try one?" Ron asked.

"No, I might need them all," Hermione said. "Who knows how long it will take for them to work."

"You really believe they'll cause you to go into labor?" Ron frowned. "Seems like it was a coincidence, what happened to Ginny."

"There's actually quite a bit of evidence that hot foods like these can induce labor in women," Hermione said. "I read it in one of the pregnancy books my mum brought over. Hold on, I'll show you."

She heaved herself up and started across the room towards one of the many over-stuffed bookshelves in the house.

"Right here," Hermione said, picking up one of the books. "In this chapter at the end on-"

Her sentence trailed off, and the book tumbled from her hands.

"What?" Ron said, jumping up and rushing to her side. "Are the candies _too_ hot? I can get you a glass of-"

"No, my water broke," Hermione said, looking up at him. "Rose is finally on her way."

A huge grin broke out over Ron's face. "So this is really it? It's time?"

"Yes," Hermione nodded. "It's time!"


	105. Chapter 105

"James, you need to go straighten up your room," Ginny said firmly as she came into the living room, where her sons were watching television. "I told you no cartoons until it was clean."

"But mum," the six-year old moaned. "It's going to take forever! You can use magic and do it in two seconds."

"I don't care, you made the mess, you'll clean it up," Ginny said. "Now go James, before you lose your broomstick for the weekend."

As James stomped out of the room, Ginny turned and looked over at her youngest son. Albus was sitting on the floor, right in front of the television, staring up at it.

"Al, don't sit so close to the telly," Ginny said. "Aunt Hermione told me that it's not good for your eyes and neck."

"Okay," Albus complied, moving back to the sofa.

"I'm going to be in the study, writing," Ginny told him. "Come get me if you need anything, sweetheart."

"Alright, mum," Albus nodded.

"Mummy!" three-year old Lily cried, running into the room, covered in flour. "Guess what! I baked you a cake! But you have to put it in the oven 'cause I'm not allowed to."

"You baked a cake?" Ginny frowned, stepping into the kitchen, which was covered in a mixture of cake mix, and other substances she couldn't identify. "Oh…looks writing will have to wait."

….

"Your children ran me ragged today," Ginny sighed as her and Harry sat in the kitchen. Harry had just returned home from work and was eating a piece of cake from the mixture that Lily had made early.

"How come they're _my_ children when they misbehave?" Harry asked, amused.

"Well they didn't get this total disregard for the rules from _me_ ," Ginny said. "That's all you, Potter."

"Right," Harry smirked. "Because you never broke a rule in your life…You know, this cake isn't bad. Lily really made it?"

"Well, she mixed a bunch of ingredients together, and then I did what I could to save everything," Ginny said. "I'm pretty sure she put bits of crisps in it…"

"It adds a nice crunch," Harry shrugged.

"Really? I couldn't eat it," Ginny cringed. "I told Lily was full. It was too strange of a combination."

"Says the woman who ate pickles and ice cream while she was pregnant," Harry said, rolling his eyes as he finished off his cake. "So where are the kids?"

"Lily's playing over at Ron and Hermione's," Ginny replied. "And James is upstairs in his bedroom. He's supposed to be cleaning, but I bet you ten galleons he's up there fooling around. Albus has been glued to the telly all day. Apparently it's the World Cup for football."

"Ah, right, it is," Harry nodded. "I might go and watch with him."

"He's been the best behaved all day, make sure you reward him for that," Ginny said. "Only thing I've had to tell him is not to sit so close to the television. I've noticed him doing that a lot lately…I wonder what that's about."

"Really?" Harry frowned.

"Does it really hurt your eyes if you do that?" Ginny asked. "I know Hermione said it does, but she can be a bit paranoid sometimes."

"She's right…" Harry said slowly as he walked into the living room with Ginny right behind him.

In the living room, Albus was sitting back right in front of the television again.

"Hi, Al," Harry said.

"Dad!" Albus exclaimed. "Wanna watch football with me?"

"Course I do," Harry nodded.

"Albus, I told you, dear, you can't sit so close to the television," Ginny said.

Albus nodded and headed back to the couch.

"Albus," Harry said. "Can you see the pictures on the television from the couch?"

"Not really," Albus said. "They're all blurry. But if I move closer to the screen, I can see better!"

"What?" Ginny frowned. "Albus, you can't see? How come you never said anything?"

"Is it bad that I can't see the television from the couch?" Albus asked nervously.

"No," Harry smiled. "But mummy and I need to know these things, okay? Listen, if I take off my glasses, I couldn't see a thing either."

"Really?" Albus said.

"I reckon you need some glasses too," Harry told him. "You'll see, they'll help you see much better."

"I'll take you first thing in the morning to get you some," Ginny said to her son, putting her arms around him. "Oh, you'll look so handsome!"

"I'll look like dad!" Albus beamed proudly.

"Even more than you do now," Ginny chuckled.

"I can't wait," Albus said, climbing up into Harry's lap. "James is gonna be _so_ jealous."


	106. Chapter 106

"Albus! Stop taking my crisps!" James yelled, pulling his bag away from his younger brother.

"Then tell Lily to stop taking mine!" Albus retorted, pointing to his younger sister, who was helping herself to Albus' crisp bag, pausing only to give her brothers a sweet, innocent smile.

"You two realize I can hear you arguing from the garden?" Harry said, coming into the room. "What's the problem?"

"Lily's taking my crisps, so I have to take James'," Albus explained. "And James is being mean about it."

"I'm hungry! I want to eat _my_ crisps," the six-year old defended.

Harry leaned down and picked up Lily. "How about we get you your _own_ crisps so you can stop taking your brother's?"

"Yummy!" Lily giggled.

"Dad?" James asked as Harry opened one of the cupboard doors. "When's mum getting home?"

"Dunno, she went out to tea with Aunt Luna," Harry said. "She probably won't be back until around dinner time."

"So can we go flying?" James asked eagerly.

"Maybe once Lily goes down for her nap," Harry smiled.

"No nap," Lily informed her father.

"Hmm, sounds like you won't be making this an easy afternoon," Harry sighed.

"I don't want to fly," Albus said firmly. "I want to play football."

"That dumb muggle game with only one ball?" James scoffed. " _Boring_!"

"James," Harry said firmly. "What have mummy and I told you about making fun of your brother's interests?"

"It's not nice and I'm not to do it," James muttered. "But I don't get how he could like football more than Quidditch. It makes no sense!"

"I think Quidditch is boring," Albus shrugged.

James let out a shocked gasp. "Quidditch is _not_ boring! Dad!"

"James, it's okay for some people not to like Quidditch," Harry said. "Not everybody has to like the same thing."

"But you and mum like Quidditch," James said. "So does nearly everybody else in our family."

"Not Uncle Percy," Albus pointed out.

"Well Uncle Percy is _boring_ ," James said, rolling his eyes.

"James, enough," Harry said firmly. "Albus has every right to enjoy football, and every right _not_ to enjoy Quidditch. And _you_ are not to give him a hard time about it. Understand?"

"Yes," James sighed reluctantly.

….

"Lily, you need to take a nap," Harry said, placing Lily back in her small toddler bed for about the tenth time in less than five minutes.

"No!" Lily said firmly. "Play with me!"

"Play time is over," Harry said, trying to sound stern, something he could hardly ever accomplish with his children, especially his little girl. "One hour, that's all I'm asking for Lil. After that I promise I'll come in and wake you up, and we can play again."

"Play _now_ ," Lily said, jumping down from her bed and hugging tightly to Harry's leg.

"Dad?" James said, sticking his head into Lily's room. "Can we fly now?"

"James, I have to get Lily to sleep first," Harry said. "Which is looking like it's going to take some time…"

"No nap for me!" Lily informed her brother.

"But dad, it's supposed to storm soon," James pouted.

"I know," Harry said. "I'm sorry, buddy, but unless your sister decides to suddenly cooperate, I don't think we'll be able to fly."

"Thanks a lot, Lily," James muttered, glaring at his sister.

"Welcome!" Lily said brightly, immune to her brother's sarcasm.

"Maybe tonight once your mum comes home we can try for a quick fly," Harry promised. "But right now you'll have to find something else to do."

"Alright," James said heavily, turning and heading out of his sister's room.

 _There's nothing to do,_ James thought to himself as he went downstairs. He glanced at the television. He supposed he could spend the afternoon watching cartoons, but he wanted to move about a bit, not sit around. If he could use the Floo network by himself, he could Floo over to Louis' or Fred's home, but his parents had told him he wasn't allowed to do so until he was older (and frankly he was a little scared of getting lost among the many wizarding fireplaces).

He glanced out the back window and saw Albus playing alone in the garden. He was kicking his football into a small net that Harry and Ginny had gotten him for Christmas a few weeks ago. Figuring he had nothing better to do, James let himself out into the garden.

"Al, you're in luck," James announced. "Dad's too busy with Lily to take me flying. So it looks like I'll have to spend the afternoon with you. Come on, let's go play gobstones or something."

"I don't want to play gobstones," Albus said. "I'm practicing football. You can join me if you want."

"You want me to play that game?" James frowned. "You've _got_ to be joking."

"It's fun, really,"Albus told him.

"How can a game with only one ball and no flying be fun?" James challenged. "All you're doing right now is kicking the ball."

"Well it's way more fun if you have more players," Albus said. "I know! We can play keep-away!"

"What's that?" James asked hesitantly.

"I played it with a boy once at the playground," Albus said. "You have to try and dribble the ball around without letting the other player steal it away from you. And if they do, then you have to try and steal it back."

"Dribble?"

"That's what it's called when you kick the ball on the ground," Albus grinned, clearly proud to know something his elder brother didn't. "Here, I'll start with the ball, and you take it from me."

"That's way too easy," James said, bending down and scooping up the ball from Albus' feet. "See? That took about two seconds."

"It's _foot_ ball," Albus said. "You can't use your hands! Well, unless you're the keeper. But you're _not_ , so you can only use your feet. That's the whole point of the game."

"Oh…I knew that, I was just testing you," James mumbled, dropping the ball back down at Albus' feet. "But that's still too easy."

"If you say so," Albus said, taking off running with the ball in the other direction. James ran after him. He made to kick the ball from Albus' feet, but his younger brother turned at the last second, causing James to go flying down to the ground.

"Are you okay?" Albus asked, looking back at James as he dusted himself off.

"Uh-huh," James nodded. "How did you turn so fast?"

"I practiced doing it at the park with dad," Albus said. "He couldn't do it, but I'm really good at it!"

"Yeah, you're not bad, I guess," James said.

Albus beamed. It wasn't often James threw a compliment his way.

"Well, let's keep on with it then," James said. "I'm still going to get that ball from you."

"No way!" Albus exclaimed, going back to kicking the ball again as James chased after him.

…

"I'm telling you, Gin, she's more stubborn than either of her brothers ever were," Harry said as he helped Ginny set the table for dinner that evening. "I tried getting her to take a nap for three hours and she refused!"

"So I take it you gave up?" Ginny asked.

"What else was I supposed to do?" Harry asked.

"I've told you," Ginny said. "You put her in the bed, walk out of the room and close the door. She may fuss for a few minutes but eventually she gets tired and will nap. Course I suppose she's learned by now that with you, all she needs to do is give you a sweet look and you'll do whatever she likes. You wound up letting her play, no?"

"You didn't see the look she gave me," Harry defended. "Even you couldn't have told her no."

"I've said it a million times," Ginny smiled, shaking her head. "She's got you-"

"-Wrapped around her finger," Harry finished, rolling his eyes.

"Well, at least she should go down for bedtime without a fight tonight," Ginny said. "Alright, the meatballs are ready. Is Lily still coloring in the den?"

"Yeah," Harry nodded.

"And where are James and Al?" she asked. "I haven't heard any fighting since I got home…"

"They're both out in the garden," Harry replied. "Playing football."

"Football?" Ginny repeated. " _James_?"

"I know," Harry grinned. "I was shocked. I came down to check on them a while ago and they were playing together. No fighting, no teasing…here, come look. Who knows when we'll see this again."

He led Ginny to the back window, where they could both see Albus and James kicking the football back and forth between one another as they ran around the garden, laughing together.

"Wow," Ginny said softly. "Are you sure those are _our_ sons? Did you take a picture?"

"Course I did," Harry said. "Like I said, who knows when this will happen again. We'll need proof that it actually _did_ happen."

"Albus is quite good," Ginny commented. "James...well, between you and me, it looks like he should stick to Quidditch. Oh, Albus must be thrilled to finally have something he's better at than James."

"I know," Harry nodded. "I almost don't want to interrupt them to tell them to come in for dinner."

"Maybe we can let them stay out for another few minutes?" Ginny suggested. "I can always put a warming charm on the food."

"Good thinking," Harry agreed.


	107. Chapter 107

"Alright, Teddy, which one shall we read next?" Harry asked the three-year old as he finished one of the toddler's picture books.

"The duck book," Teddy replied, handing Harry another story from the large stack that sat next to the two. "That one's my favorite."

"I know it is," Harry chuckled. "We only read it about ten times a day."

"It's funny," Teddy grinned.

Just as Harry opened the book, there was a loud cracking sound from the entranceway.

"Harry?" Hermione's voice sounded through the house.

"In here!" Harry called back to her.

"Hermione!" Teddy exclaimed as Hermione came into the sitting room.

"Hi Teddy," Hermione smiled as the child rushed over to her. "What are you two up to?"

"Reading," Teddy replied. "We're going to read the duck book you got me next!"

"He loves it," Harry told her. "I've got the pages memorized by this point."

"I'm so glad you like it," Hermione said to Teddy.

"So what's up?" Harry asked. "I thought this was your day off. Figured you and Ron would be doing something together."

"We went to brunch at a nice café in Chelsea," Hermione replied. "But George called Ron into the shop at the last minute to cover for him. Angelina apparently took a pretty nasty bludger hit to her shoulder during practice, so he's gone to look after her."

"Is she alright?" Harry asked, concerned.

"Yes, George told Ron that she'll just be a bit sore for a couple of days," Hermione nodded. "But after he left, I thought I'd try to straighten up around the house for a bit. And, er…well I've _told_ Ron not to leave his Keeper gloves lying around, so really he has no one to blame but himself, but…"

She reached into her bag and pulled out a pair of ripped up gloves.

"Blimey, what happened to these?" Harry asked.

"Crookshanks got to them," Hermione sighed. "I tried using magic to fix them, but I think because of the type of leather they're made from, spells won't work. I was _hoping_ that if you weren't busy, you could go to Quality Quidditch Supplies with me and help me find a new pair to buy Ron."

"Sure," Harry said. "We'll have to bring Teddy along, though. His grandmother won't be back until tomorrow morning. What do you say Teddy?"

"Can we get ice cream?" Teddy asked.

"I suppose that can be arranged," Harry smirked. "Go and get your coat."

"Thanks, Harry," Hermione said as Teddy ran off.

"I needed to go to Diagon Ally soon anyway," Harry said, lowering his voice slightly. "I need to pick something up."

"What?" Hermione asked.

"A ring…" Harry said slowly. "For Ginny."

Hermione gasped. "You're going to propose?"

Harry nodded. "I am."

"Oh Harry!" Hermione exclaimed, throwing her arms around her friend. "Ron _said_ you were planning on doing it soon! Congratulations!"

"Don't congratulate me until she says yes," Harry told her, hugging her back.

"She will," Hermione assured him.

"Let's hope you're right," Harry said. "Anyway, I went and picked out the ring a few weeks ago, but they had to do a few adjustments. Do you think you can just take a look at it before I go and buy it? I want to make sure it's perfect for her."

"Of course," Hermione said. "Do you know when you'll be proposing?"

"Soon," Harry said.

"I'm ready!" Teddy announced, coming back into the room with his jacket.

"Great, let's go then," Harry said.

"Can I bring my book too?" Teddy asked.

"Look what you've done to him?" Harry grinned at Hermione. "Can't even go to a shop without having his nose in a book."

…..

"I figured you'd be exhausted after running the shop by yourself today," Hermione said. "So I picked up food from the Leaky Cauldron."

"You're a saint," Ron said, sinking into the kitchen chair, pulling out a copy of the _Evening Prophet._ "I really need a good meal right now. Er…not that anything you would've cooked wouldn't have been a good meal as well."

"Right," Hermione said, rolling her eyes. "Anyway, I hope you're not busy next weekend. My parents invited us over for dinner, and I was thinking since our day together got cut short today, we could make a bit of a holiday out of it. There's a nice inn not too far from their house that we could stay at; right near the beach."

"Sounds fun," Ron said, looking up from the paper. "So, tell me, will I be invited to the wedding? Or would that be too awkward?"

"What are you talking about?" Hermione frowned.

Ron handed her the newspaper, where a picture of her, Harry, and little Teddy coming out of the ring shop stared up at her.

"The Boy Who Lived and his mistress, Hermione Granger, make their affair official by bringing their love child to pick out wedding rings this morning," Hermione read. "Oh for Merlin's sake! _How_ can the _Prophet_ still allow things like this to be printed?"

"Did Harry get you a nice ring, at least?" Ron asked.

"Ron, you know perfectly well-"

"Relax, you didn't think I believed this rubbish, did you?" Ron said, giving her a small smile. "But what _were_ you lot doing at a ring shop? Wait…does this mean Harry's-"

"He picked up Ginny's ring," Hermione beamed. "He's going to propose!"

"About time," Ron grinned. "The two of us went to that shop weeks ago. Bloke must have spent hours picking out that ring. And dad let it slip to George and me the other day that Harry had asked him and mum for their blessing."

"Oh no…" Hermione suddenly said, looking back down at the paper. "Ginny's going to see this."

"So?" Ron said. "There's no way she'd believe you and Harry are sneaking around behind her back with your-what did they call Teddy? Love child, that's it."

"I know," Hermione sighed. "But how's Harry going to explain why he was coming out of a ring shop at all? He wanted to surprise her with the proposal; she'll know it's coming now."

"Oh, right," Ron nodded. "Well…what time does Ginny get home from practice?"

"I don't know, probably soon," Hermione said.

"I'll go warn Harry," Ron said, getting to his feet. "He'll just have to push up his plans."

Ron quickly disapparated from his kitchen, reappearing a second later in the middle of Harry and Ginny's living room.

"Ron?" Harry said, coming down the steps. "What are you doing here?"

"Have you see the _Evening Prophet_?" Ron asked.

"Hmm? No, it's over on the table, I think," Harry said. "I just finished putting Teddy to bed."

"Well is Ginny home?"

"No, not for another hour," Harry replied. "She has a late practice. Why?"

"You'll want to see this," Ron said, stepping over to the coffee table and pulling out the newspaper, where the same picture of Harry, Hermione, and Teddy was plastered across the front page.

"You've got to be kidding me," Harry said, rolling his eyes as he looked at the paper. "Doesn't the _Prophet_ get tired of printing these stories? This is their third one like this this year."

"Evidently not," Ron shrugged. "But I thought I'd warn you before Ginny got home."

"Ginny doesn't believe these stories," Harry said. "She'll probably have a good laugh."

"I know she won't believe it," Ron said. "But look where you two are coming out of."

Harry took another look at the picture. "The ring shop…?"

"Hermione said you wanted to surprise Ginny with the proposal," Ron said. "How exactly will you explain you coming out of a ring shop to her without tipping her off to what you're planning?"

"Bloody hell! You're right!" Harry exclaimed. "I don't want Ginny to find out that I'm going to propose to her from this rag. What am I going to do?"

"You said she doesn't get home for another hour," Ron said pointedly.

"You expect me to get ready to propose to her in an hour?" Harry said weakly. "That's impossible!"

"Says the one who defied death twice," Ron smirked. "Come on, you can do it. You have the ring, Hermione said."

"Yes, but I-I was going to try to plan something nice," Harry said, running his fingers through his hair nervously.

"Mate, I'm sure she'll love any way you propose to her," Ron said, clasping his shoulder and giving him a reassuring smile.

"Yeah?" Harry asked hesitantly.

"You'll be fine," Ron said.

"Alright," Harry said, a grin creeping onto his face. "This is it then. I'm proposing!"

"Need any help setting anything up?" Ron asked. "Hermione wouldn't mind coming over either if you-"

"No, thanks, but I-I think I know what I'm going to do," Harry said.

"Right then," Ron nodded. "Well…good luck. Not that you'll need it. Though fair warning, you'll probably feel like a frazzled mess until she says yes."

"If she says yes," Harry said.

"She will," Ron said. "She really loves you."

…..

An hour later, Ginny apparated into her and Harry's home, covered in a combination of sweat and mud from practice.

"Harry?" she called, looking around the empty sitting room.

"Out here!" she heard him call from the garden.

Ginny stepped out the back door and into the small yard. Her jaw dropped when she saw Harry standing by a blanket and basket, along with several glowing orbs of light floating throughout the space.

"What is this?" Ginny asked, confused.

"I was thinking earlier," Harry said. "Do you remember those few weeks we were together during my sixth year at Hogwarts?"

"Course," Ginny nodded.

"Well…you have no idea how much those few weeks meant to me, Gin. And one of my biggest regrets is still not telling you how I felt sooner. Because if I did…maybe we could have had more time. There was so much that I wanted to do with you back then that I just didn't get a chance to do with-with everything that happened."

"I know," Ginny smiled. "But we've definitely made up for last time these past few years, haven't we?"

"We have," Harry agreed, stepping closer to her. "Still, there was one thing that I really wanted to do with you back then. After you finished your O.W.L.s, I was planning on surprising you after your last exam with a picnic out on the grounds to celebrate."

"Really?" Ginny said, impressed. "You were quite the romantic back then, weren't you?"

"I tried my best," Harry said modestly. "Anyway, I never did get to do that, though, did I? So I thought…better late than never."

"Did you cook?" Ginny asked, eyeing the picnic basket on the blanket.

"Er, no," Harry admitted. "I decided it would kill the moment a bit if I had to rush you to St. Mungo's for food poisoning. I asked Kreacher to bring by some sandwiches."

"Harry, this is lovely," Ginny smiled, leaning up to give him a quick kiss. "Give me two minutes to change and-"

"You don't have to change," Harry told her. "You look perfect just like that."

"I'm covered in mud," Ginny said, amused.

"Doesn't matter to me," Harry told her. "You always look perfect."

"Hmm, well you'll be the one who has to clean the mud out of this blanket then," Ginny smiled, sitting down. "Now where are these sandwiches I was told about? I'm starving."

"Rough practice?" Harry asked.

"Brutal," Ginny nodded as Harry handed her a sandwich. "I should expect that, though, now that I'm off of the reserve team. Hopefully all the drills we're running will keep me from making a fool of myself when I start in my first game next month."

"You won't," Harry said. "You're a really strong Chaser, Gin. You've done brilliantly in every game you've gotten to play in so far."

"Well, in any case, our first match is against the Cannons," Ginny said. "So I suppose I should be fine."

"There you go," Harry grinned, reaching into the basket and pulling out two champagne flutes.

"Champagne?" Ginny said, raising an eyebrow. "Are we celebrating something?"

Harry shrugged nonchalantly. "Just a nice night together."

"Alright then," Ginny said, clinking her glass against his. "That _is_ something to celebrate. It's been far too long since we've done something together like this. Between my practices and your work, we've both been busy lately."

"I know," Harry agreed, lacing his fingers with his.

"Kreacher really outdid himself with these," Ginny commented, finishing her sandwich. "So, Potter, is this picnic everything you hoped it would be back when you were sixteen?"

Harry pulled her closer to him and leaned down to kiss her. When the two pulled apart several minutes later, Harry rested his forehead against hers. "Now it is," he said.

"With everything you went through your sixth year, snogging me was what was on your mind?" Ginny asked, amused.

"Course it was," Harry said.

"Thought the Chosen One would prioritize a bit more," Ginny said. "The Wizarding world probably would've been a bit nervous if they knew their hero was wasting time thinking about mindless kissing."

"Well in my defense, they don't know how brilliantly you kiss," Harry told her. He took her hand. "You know…you have no idea how much those few weeks saved me back then. I mean being with you was so…normal."

"Ah yes, every girl dreams of being called _normal_ by her boyfriend," Ginny said, rolling her eyes.

"That's not what I meant," Harry said quickly. "I just mean…with you, I didn't have to be the Chosen One. I didn't have to worry about Horcruxes or Voldemort or anything. I could forget all of that stuff and just be me. I know I've said it before, but I really wish I would've come to my senses earlier and told you how I felt sooner...We could have had so much more time together."

"Well we're together now," Ginny said, placing a hand on his cheek. "That's all that matters."

"Yes," Harry said, taking a deep breath as he stood up and pulled Ginny to her feet. He leaned down and kissed her. "But I never want to have to go back to those times…before we were together. Looking back I can't believe I managed without you."

"It's not like I'm planning on leaving you anytime soon," Ginny said, somewhat amused. "If that's what you're worried about."

"Well then," Harry said, slowly reaching into his pocket. He then lowered himself onto one knee. "Care to make it official then?"

Ginny gasped as Harry opened up at velvet box, showing a sparkling diamond ring.

"I love you," Harry said, his heart slamming against his chest. "More than anything. So Ginny…will you marry me?"

Ginny had never been one to be overly emotional, but at that moment, she could hardly do more than nod her head as tears of pure joy spilled from her eyes. "Yes," she managed. "Of course! Yes!"

Harry nearly dropped the ring in excitement as he rushed to slide it onto Ginny's finger. He then jumped to his feet and pulled her into an embrace, wasting no time in pressing his lips to hers.

"What are you doing out here?"

The couple broke apart and turned to see Teddy standing at the back door, clutching his blanket and stuffed dragon.

"Are you playing without me?" Teddy frowned.

"Never," Harry smiled, holding out his arm for Teddy to come join them. The child rushed over and jumped up into Harry's arms.

"Now it's really a celebration," Ginny grinned, kissing Teddy's cheek.

"Celebration?" Teddy repeated, confused.

"You know I'm your godfather, right Teddy?" Harry said.

Teddy nodded.

"Well now you'll have Ginny as your godmother," Harry told him.

"I though she already was," Teddy said, causing both Harry and Ginny to laugh.

"Well, now it will be official," Ginny told him. "Me and Harry are getting married."

"How come?" Teddy asked.

"Because we love each other," Harry said. "Do you remember Ron and Hermione's wedding last year? Well Ginny and I will have one just like that."

"Do I have to wear itchy dress robes?" Teddy frowned.

"Well love, I'd like to tell you no, but I'm sure my mum and your grandmother won't let that fly," Ginny chuckled.

"Oh," Teddy sighed. "But there will be cake?"

"Yes," Harry grinned. "Lots of cake."

"Oh!" Teddy beamed. "Then okay!"

"We have your blessing then?" Ginny asked.

"Yes," Teddy nodded importantly. "You guys can get married."

"Thanks, Teddy," Harry said. "How about a quick round of hot chocolate, and then back to bed."

"Are you guys going to bed too?" Teddy asked.

"Eventually," Ginny said, winking at Harry.


	108. Chapter 108

The morning of her seventeenth birthday, Ginny woke up not expecting any sort of celebration. The war was hardly three months past, and though her family was trying hard to move on from everything they had been through, it was clear that they had not yet succeeded. Her mother could hardly go more than an hour without breaking down in tears. Her father would sometimes spend an entire afternoon locked away in his shed, coming back only when Molly would call for dinner, his glasses stained with tears. George spent almost every moment locked away in his old bedroom. Sometimes she would stop by the door on her way up to her own bedroom, only to feel sickened with grief at the sounds of her elder brother's cries.

She thought she heard Hermione stir in the cot next to her, and Ginny quickly shut her eyes to feign sleep. Luckily, though, Hermione had just been turning over, and Ginny quickly sat back up, threw her dressing robe and slippers on, and slipped out of her bedroom.

Just as she suspected, the Burrow was quiet and seemingly empty; it was still fairly early, and she didn't doubt that she would have at least a few hours before anybody else would get up. She padded out to the living room and gently pushed open the back door, stepping out into the garden. She headed straight to the small patch of grass behind the broom shed; the area that she had used as her personal hiding spot since she was six years old. She pulled out her wand and pointed it back at the house.

"Accio blankets," she muttered, and a second later, her covers from her bed came speeding out to her. Using magic outside of school, though, did not seem to be as exciting as she had always anticipated, though.

She pulled the blanket up around her shoulders and settled down on the grass, resting her chin on her knees.

She'd be fine if nobody mentioned her birthday at all, but in reality, she knew that was a lost hope. Harry, after all, had made the same request, and insisted to her mother that nobody make a fuss, but still, in the end, Molly had put together a feast and cake.

Just then, she heard the back door open. She craned her neck and saw a figure crossing the lawn. As it drew closer, Ginny saw that it was none other than Harry.

"Hi," Ginny said as he reached her. "What are you doing up at this hour? It's not even six."

"Could as the same thing of you," Harry pointed out as he sat down next to her. "Happy birthday, Gin."

"Thanks," Ginny said, giving him a small smile.

"You're of age now," Harry continued. "Feel any different?"

"Yes, as of today, I'm a brand new person," Ginny said. "At midnight I woke up with this tingling sensation in my toes and the desire to move to Antarctica."

"You'd be a bit cold there, wouldn't you?" Harry said. "Though I suppose now that you can use magic, you can cast some warming charms."

"That's the plan," Ginny said, rolling her eyes, somewhat amused.

"Well happy birthday," Harry continued. "It _is_ an important one. Not every day you become of age."

"I suppose," Ginny muttered. "I just hope no one makes a big fuss over it…"

"I think I heard your mum in the kitchen as I was coming out here," Harry told her. "I'd bet anything she's already getting to work on your cake."

"Lovely," Ginny sighed. "The last thing this family wants to do right now is celebrate."

Harry put an arm around her. "Your dad told me that it helps."

"What?" Ginny frowned, looking up at him.

"Well, it helps your mum and him, at least," Harry said. "Couple of weeks ago, right before my birthday, I pulled him aside and asked him if there was anything he could do to convince her not to make a fuss, since it was clear that I wasn't going to be able to change her mind on my own. And he said that he could try, but that that doing the preparations was the first thing that had gotten your mum out and about since Fred's funeral."

"You're right," Ginny said slowly, realizing that Harry's birthday dinner had been the first time she had seen her mother laughing since the war. "Well…I suppose I can manage to make it through the celebration, then. But I don't want anybody else to make a fuss."

She looked right up at Harry as she said this.

"What makes you think I'd make a fuss over your birthday?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow. "Do you think I fancy you or something?"

"I think you do," Ginny said simply. "All the snogging last night was a bit of a giveaway."

"Mmm, good point," Harry smirked. "Well, I suppose I could just give you a card and be done with this all-"

"Good, that's all I-"

"But I believe I asked the same of you on my birthday," Harry continued, smiling down at her. "Not to make a fuss…and if I recall, you insisted on making quite a fuss. We spent the day alone together in that field nearby, playing Quidditch, talking…not talking."

"You said you enjoyed that," Ginny frowned.

"I did," Harry assured her, taking her hand. "Which is why I _hope_ you'll enjoy what I planned for you…even if I did make a fuss over your birthday."

"What do you have planned?" Ginny asked suspiciously as Harry stood up and helped her to her feet.

"Come on," Harry said. "You'll see."

He took her hand, and with a loud cracking sound, the two disapparated from the Burrow.

"Where are we?" Ginny asked, looking around.

"Just outside a muggle city," Harry said. "Thought we could spend the day here. We'll get a bite of breakfast and then we can go down to the boardwalk. I hear there are some really nice shops. And after we have lunch, I'll take you to the cinema. You'll love it, Gin. It's a theatre with a giant television screen. Never been myself, of course, but it's supposed to be fun. And the fair is in town as well. We'll have to be back to the Burrow for dinner and your cake, but we'll have the better part of the day together here."

Ginny looked around as the couple walked towards the city. Even though it was early, the streets were beginning to get crowded. Several people carrying briefcases hurried by. A few couples who were holding hands like her and Harry were passed, smiling as they sipped their morning coffees. Children ran along the sidewalk, laughing amongst one another.

"Sorry," a man said as he nearly crashed into Harry without looking up from his newspaper.

And then, suddenly, Ginny knew exactly why Harry had taken her here.

Here, in this muggle village, they were simply another couple.

They were ordinary.

Here, it was as if the war hadn't happened. The muggle world knew nothing of the horror that had occured just a few months earlier. It was the exact opposite of the wizarding world, which was still rebuilding after the tremendous losses it had suffered.

Ginny had only gone to Diagon Ally once since the war had ended, when her and Hermione had needed to purchase their school supplies. It had been horrible, to say the least. Half the shops were still damaged, and the usual bustle of Hogwarts students eagerly shopping for their books and wands was lacking, as most shoppers seemed to set on getting out of Diagon Ally as quickly as possible.

But worst of all were the stares.

Harry had chosen not to come to Diagon Ally that day, and Ginny couldn't blame him. She knew that he would of course be gawked at as though he were on display. She had figured Hermione would get a fair amount of attention, and she did; Ginny had admired the way Hermione was able to keep her focus as whispers seemed to follow her all throughout the shops. But she hadn't been expecting to be the target of such attention herself. She absolutely despised it. It seemed that everyone somehow knew that she was the one that the 'Chosen One' was currently seeing, and it seemed that everyone had an opinion on the matter.

 _"She's awfully plain looking."_

 _"He could do better."_

 _"I hear he's only dating her because he feels bad her brother died."_

When she had come home, visibly upset, she had told Harry that she didn't know how he could handle it. Having everyone stare and whisper as though you weren't even a person…

Here, though, in the muggle city…they were just a normal couple, as far as anyone was concerned. She was just a girl celebrating her birthday with her boyfriend who just so happened to have an odd-shaped scar on his forehead.

Ginny looked up at Harry as she squeezed his hand.

"Thank you," she said softly. "I love it."

"We haven't done anything yet," Harry pointed out.

"Doesn't matter," Ginny said. "This is perfect."


	109. Chapter 109

"How come we have to stay inside?" James moaned as him, Fred, and Louis stood in the living room of the Burrow. "Inside is boring!"

"James, it's teaming outside," Harry said, rolling his eyes.

"We don't mind, Uncle Harry," Fred said.

"Yes, I know you three don't mind," Harry smiled. "But your dad, Louis' dad, and I mind."

"Are they still upset about having to stay in?" George asked, coming into the room, along with Bill.

"Can't we just play in the yard for five minutes?" Louis begged.

"And have your mum ring my neck when you come down with a cold?" Bill smirked. "There's plenty of things you three can do inside."

"Like what?" Fred said.

"Dunno, be creative," George said. "You'll never learn to entertain yourselves if we're constantly coming up with suggestions for you."

"Give us just a few more minutes," Harry told the boys. "We're almost done cleaning the kitchen. Then we'll go join everyone else at your Aunt Audrey's birthday."

"How come you guys have to clean the kitchen?" Fred asked.

"Because your grandmother managed to guilt us," George told the three-year olds. "Now go on, keep yourselves busy for little longer."  
"Don't break anything," Bill added quickly as the three men turned to head back to the kitchen.

"What are we supposed to do?" James said to his cousins.

"Hey, I forgot!" Fred said, running over to his knapsack. "I brought my quaffle over!"

"You did?" James exclaimed. "Let's play with that!"

"Throw it to me, Fred!" Louis said, holding up his arms.

"Catch!" Fred said, tossing the quaffle to Louis.

"Here, James," Louis said, tossing the quaffle high into the air.

"Got it!" James exclaimed. "Hey, Fred, show Louis how you can make the quaffle spin when you throw it!"  
"Okay," Fred agreed, taking the quaffle back from James. "All you have to do is hold the quaffle like this, and then…"

He tossed the quaffle up, but instead of going towards Louis, where Fred had been aiming, the quaffle collided with the dozens of framed photographs that were sitting on top of the fireplace.

"Uh-oh!" James moaned as the frames tumbled to the ground. "We're going to be in so much trouble!"

"Let's put them back up before our dads come out to see what that crash was," Louis said urgently.

"But we can't reach to put them back!" Fred pointed out.

"Stand on my shoulders," James told Fred.

"No, you stand on _my_ shoulders," Louis told James. "I'm the tallest and you're the shortest."

"Hardly," James scoffed. "But fine. Fred, you pass us the pictures. And hurry!"

"Alright," Fred nodded as the other two boys scrambled into position. He passed James Ron and Hermione's wedding photo, a frame containing a picture of Teddy and Victorie playing in the yard together when they were toddlers, one of Charlie standing by a large dragon in Romania, and then one of Fred's father. But in this photo, Fred's father wasn't alone…

"Hey, look, this one must have a doubling charm on it," Fred commented, holding the photo up for James and Louis. "Wonder why…"

"Maybe your dad did it as a joke," James shrugged. "But don't worry about that now! We need to get these pictures back up before-"

"Ah, so that was the noise we heard," George said, as him, Harry, and Bill came back into the sitting room.

James and Louis toppled down onto the ground. "Dad," James started right away. "We didn't mean to-"

"No, I don't reckon you three did," Harry said. He spotted the quaffle laying nearby. "But you _do_ know not to play with the quaffle in the house."

"We were bored though," Louis defended.

"We know," Bill said. "But that's no excuse to break the rules."

"Are we in trouble?" James sighed.

The three men exchanged looks.

"Partially our fault," George muttered to Harry and Bill. "We left them in here alone…What could we expect."

"Fair point," Harry nodded. "Alright, no one's in trouble. Just help us gather up these pictures so we can get going."

"Hey, dad!" Fred said to George, holding up the photograph he had been showing Louis and James. "How come you put a doubling charm on this picture? There's two of you!"

George took the frame and stared down at it silently.

"Were you playing a joke on grandmum?" Fred asked. "Do you think she'll notice?"

"Er, Louis, James," Bill said, clearing his throat as he pointed his wand at the remaining pictures, causing them to fly back to their original spots. "Come help Harry and me finish up in the kitchen."

"How come?" James asked.

"Because," Harry said, giving his son a warning look.

James and Louis followed their fathers out of the room, leaving George alone with Fred.

"Dad?" Fred said, looking at his father's strange expression. "What's wrong? Uh-oh, was this joke supposed to be a secret? Sorry I ruined-"

"It's not a joke, Fred," George said softly, still staring at the photo. "It's not a doubling charm. This is just me and my brother."

"Which one?" Fred frowned, confused. None of his uncles looked just like his dad.

"My twin," George said, giving his son a small smile.

"A twin?" Fred repeated slowly. "Molly and Lucy are twins, but they don't look the same."

"No," George agreed. "They don't. But some twins do. Me and my brother were identical; we looked exactly alike. Even your grandmum couldn't tell us apart sometimes."

"Really?" Fred said. "But…I've never met your twin, dad."

"No," George whispered. "You haven't."

"How come?" Fred asked. "Are you mad at him?"

"No," George said, putting an arm around Fred. "He died, I'm afraid."

Fred's eyes widened. "He did?"

"There-There was a war," George explained. "A few years before you were born…I'll tell you about it later. But me and your uncles and aunts and even your grandparents fought in it. And-And he didn't make it. He was killed while he was fighting. He went a hero."

Fred stared at the photo. "What was he like?"

"Well, like me, I suppose," George grinned. "We both liked playing jokes and teasing. And we loved Quidditch; we were the beaters on Gryffindor's team, you know?"

"You were?" Fred gasped.

"We started the joke shop together too," George continued. "It was our dream, ever since we were kids."

Fred watched as his father looked back down at the photo.

George let out another sigh. "He was my best friend. In all our time together, I don't think we were ever apart more than an hour or so at a time. We did everything together. Some people used to ask us if we ever got sick of each other. And don't get me wrong; we argued here and there. All siblings do. You'll find that out soon enough once your sister gets here next month. But we never seemed to _want_ to be apart."

"Do you-Do you still miss him?" Fred asked softly.  
George closed his eyes. "Every single day. I'll always miss him."

Fred didn't reply.

"You would've loved him," George said, squeezing his son's shoulder. "And he would've loved you. I do wish you two could have met."

"What was his name?" Fred asked.

George stared at Fred, his eyes twinkling. "Fred."

"That's my name," Fred said.

"It is," George chuckled. "You're named after him. And with the amount of trouble you get yourself into, I'd say you're living up to his name brilliantly."

"I am?" Fred beamed proudly.

"Oh yeah," George said. "Your Uncle Fred would've been real proud of the way you switched the salt and sugar at dinner the other night. Er, don't tell your mum I told you that, though."

"Alright," Fred laughed. "Hey, if I'm just like your twin, does that mean I'll grow up and run the joke shop with you some day?"

"If that's what you really want to do, I'd love to have you in the business," George said. "But hey, listen to me, Fred. Just because you're named after your Uncle doesn't mean you _have_ to be like him. You're your own person, okay?"

"Okay," Fred nodded. He looked back down at the photograph. "Can I keep the picture?"

"What for?" George frowned.

"I have to add him to my wall," Fred said simply.

"You're wall?" George repeated.

"In my room," Fred said. "With all the pictures. I have one from Easter and one of me, you, and mummy at the beach, and a bunch with James and Louis, but none of Uncle Fred. He's still my family, right? Even if he's not here anymore."

"That-That's right," George said thickly. He handed the frame to his son. "There you go then."

As Fred took the photograph, George put his arms around his son and pulled him into an embrace.

"Come on," George said after a minute, pulling apart from Fred. "We should get going; everybody's probably waiting for us. Hopefully Harry and Bill managed to finish up with the kitchen."

"I'll go check," Fred said, getting to his feet and hurrying out of the sitting room, leaving George alone.

"Ah, Fred," George whispered, a small smile forming on his face. "If you were here…the two of you would've been inseparable, just like we were. You would've been his favorite uncle for sure. And Angelina would've been furious at you for bringing joke products around to our place for him to test out. But I'm sure the unlucky witch who would've wound up with you would've been just as mad at me, because I'd do the same thing with your kids…"

George squeezed his eyes shut, letting a tear escape and slide down his cheek. "That was the plan, wasn't it? Didn't work out that way, though."

George stood there for several moments, lost in his own thoughts.

"Dad!" Fred said, running back into the room. "The kitchen's all clean, can we go now? I'm hungry and I want a slice of the cake grandmum made!"

"Coming," George said, quickly rubbing his eyes and pulling a smile onto his face as he hurried after his son.


	110. Chapter 110

"Don't tell me you're going out," Ron said as he apparated into the living room of the flat that him and Harry, until about a week ago, had shared.

Harry, who was pulling on his trainers, looked up at his best friend. "Sorry, Ginny and I are going shopping. Did you need something?"

"I'm bored," Ron said. "Hermione went out for tea with her mum, and the only things to do at our place are either finish unpacking, or work on that pile of paperwork from our last raid."

"Both options to productive for you?" Harry grinned.

"You sound like Hermione," Ron said.

"How's living with her going?" Harry asked.

"Brilliant, actually," Ron said brightly. "It's almost as if we had been living together for ages. I thought it would take at least a couple of days to get used to it, but it came natural right away. I love living with her."

"She's a better roommate than I was, I take it?" Harry smirked.

"Sorry mate, she is," Ron nodded. "Much prettier to look at, too."

"I'll try to pretend I'm not offended by that," Harry chuckled, grabbing his jacket. "Alright, I'm going to go meet Ginny."

"What are you shopping for?"

"Nothing," Harry said simply.

"Well then let me tag along," Ron said. "I want to pick up some snacks anyway."

"No," Harry said quickly.

"Oh come on, I'm sorry I said Hermione was prettier than you," Ron said, rolling his eyes.

"Apology accepted, but you're still not coming," Harry said.

"Why _not_?"

"I doubt you'd want to come once you see where we're going," Harry said.

"Tell me where you're going and we'll see," Ron replied.

"Fine," Harry conceded. "Ginny and I have decided my bed in my bedroom is too small for the pair of us, so we're shopping to find a bigger one for when she moves in here this weekend."

Ron immediately made a loud gagging noise. "Why would you tell me that? I don't like picturing the two of you with any situation involving a bed!"

"You asked for it," Harry smirked.

….

"It's perfect," Ginny said, looking at her and Harry's new bedroom.

"I know," Harry agreed, stepping next to her. "Alright, I finished setting all of your stuff up in the living room. Do you have anything that goes in the kitchen?"

"Considering the fact that I have no clue how to cook more than eggs and toast, no," Ginny said.

"Hmm, that might be a deal breaker on you moving in here, then," Harry said playfully, putting his arms around her.

"Fine," Ginny said. "I'll move back to the Burrow and I'll send mum to live with you so she can cook."

"Ha, ha," Harry said dryly, leaning down to kiss her. "Well is everything done up here?"

"Yes," Ginny said. "It's official; we're moved in together."

"How does it feel?" Harry grinned.

Ginny craned her neck to kiss him passionately. Harry picked her up in his arms, letting her wrap her legs around his waist.

"That about answer your question?" Ginny asked once they pulled away.

"I think I got the message," Harry replied. "You know…we still have to break in the new bed."

"We do," Ginny agreed. "But we're having Teddy by for lunch, remember? He'll be here any minute."

"Oh, right," Harry said, setting her down. "He's going to be so excited once we tell him the news."

"I know," Ginny said. "I can't wait."

Just then the two heard the fireplace whirling downstairs.

"Harry!" Teddy's voice sounded. "Ginny! Where are you?"

Harry and Ginny laughed as they headed down to the living room, where Teddy and his grandmother were waiting.

"Harry!" Teddy exclaimed, rushing over to his godfather.

"Hey, Teddy!" Harry said, scooping the child up in his arms.

"He's been talking about coming over here all morning," Andromeda smiled as Ginny kissed the top of his purple head.

"I missed you guys," Teddy said.

"We missed you too, Teddy," Ginny said. "Last time we saw you was almost _three days ago_."

"An eternity," Harry nodded. "But we'll make up for lost time today. Hope you're hungry; Ginny's mum brought us over lots of food."

"I'll be by to pick him up tomorrow morning then," she said softly to Ginny and Harry. "Have fun, Teddy! Behave yourself!"

"Alright, buddy, let's go eat," Harry said as Andromeda disapparated. "And then…Ginny and I have a surprise for you."

"A surprise?" Teddy gasped. "What is it?"

"Well the quicker you finish your lunch, the quicker you'll find out," Ginny said.

Teddy jumped down from Harry's arms and rushed into the kitchen. Ginny took a platter of sandwiches from the refrigerator and cut them into small pieces for the child.

"It looks different in the living room," Teddy commented as Harry handed him a small bag of crisps.

"That's because Ginny's stuff is in there too," Harry explained. "She moved in here, remember?"

"Because you kicked Uncle Ron out," Teddy nodded.

"I didn't kick Uncle Ron out," Harry said as Ginny laughed. "He moved into a new flat with Aunt Hermione."

"Do you miss him?" Teddy asked.

"Well, he still comes round at least twice a day," Harry said. "And between you and me, I much prefer Ginny anyway."

"Because you _love_ her," the three-year old giggled.

"I do," Harry grinned.

"Slow down there, Teddy," Ginny said as Teddy stuffed three bites of sandwich into his mouth. "Your surprise isn't going anywhere. Here, take a drink."

She handed him a cup of juice, which he of course gulped down in one sip.

"Done!" he announced, pushing away his clean plate. "Can I see my surprise?"

"Telling him about the surprise right at the beginning probably wasn't our smartest idea," Harry said to Ginny.

"No," Ginny agreed. "Probably not."

"Ah well, alright Teddy, come with us," Harry said.

Teddy followed Harry and Ginny up the stairs and down the short corridor. The stopped outside of the closed door across from Harry and Ginny's bedroom.

"Close your eyes, love," Ginny said. "And no peeking."

Teddy quickly covered his eyes with his hands, and Harry smiled as his hair turned to red, as it always did when the child was excited.

"One," Harry counted, putting his hand on the doorknob. "Two…three! Have a look!"

Teddy opened his eyes to see that the bedroom, which used to belong to Ron, had been painted baby blue. On the wall, a painting of a light gray wolf had been charmed to walk around the room, stopping every now and then underneath the large, full-moon that had been painted near the ceiling by the window to give a silent howl. A bed covered with Hollyhead Harpies sheets stood in the corner, and a large chest of toys sat across the room, next to a bookshelf filled with picture books.

"Whose room is this?" Teddy frowned, confused, as he looked back up at Harry and Ginny.

"This," Harry smiled, kneeling down next to him. "Is _your_ room."

"My room?" Teddy gasped.

"That's right," Ginny nodded. "You know how much we love you, Teddy. We want to spend more time with you. So we talked to your grandmother, and we've decided, if you agree to it, that you can start spending every other weekend over here with us, and you'll stay in this room while you're here. Course you're welcome over whenever you like, but that's the official schedule."

"I can _sleep_ over here?" Teddy gasped.

"Do you want to?" Harry asked.

"Yes!" Teddy exclaimed, throwing his arms around Harry and Ginny. "Thank you!"

"We're just glad you like it," Harry said.

"Moony!" Teddy suddenly cried, spotting his favorite stuffed wolf on the bed. "How did he get here?"

"Your grandmum brought him over a few hours before you arrived," Ginny said. "She thought it would be a nice final touch."

Teddy looked up at Harry and Ginny, hugging his toy against his chest. "I love you guys," he said.

"We love you too, Teddy," Harry said, kissing the top of his head. "So, _so_ much."


	111. Chapter 111

"The wind is really picking up," Ginny said nervously, looking up at the sky. "That's going to throw everything off. And there's a bit of a glare from the sun…I'll have to be aware of that."

"Ginny, relax," Harry told her, giving her a comforting smile. "You're going to do great."

"You don't know that," Ginny snapped. "For all you know I can fall off of my broom and cost the Harpies the match. Oh, maybe I should just go to Gwen and ask her if I can go back to being a reserve."

"What? Ginny, you've been looking forward to finally starting for ages," Harry said. "You're just getting pre-game nerves. Once the match starts and you get into the air, you'll be fine. You're the best Chaser in the league, after all."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "According to _Quidditch Quarterly_ , Davie Hanson from the Tornados has the best Chaser stats so far this season."

"Well, _I_ think you're the best Chaser in the league," Harry grinned.

"And you're not at all biased?" Ginny laughed.

"Perhaps a bit," Harry admitted. He looked at his watch. "You should probably get back to the locker rooms. Match starts in thirty minutes."

"Alright," Ginny said. She stood on her toes and pressed a short kiss to his lips. "Thanks for coming today, by the way. I know it was probably hard to get away from the Auror office."

"I couldn't miss this, now could I?" Harry pointed out.

"Well hopefully I can help get a win out there," Ginny said. "Make it worth your while."

"You already _have_ made it well worth my while," Harry said, leaning down to give her another kiss. "Just play like you always have, and you'll be brilliant. I'll see you after the match."

He gave Ginny one last fleeting kiss before turning to leave the abandoned broom shed that they had been meeting in. He looked around the crowd and saw the Weasleys, along with Hermione, standing a few yards away.

"There you are," Ron commented as Harry joined the group. "Where were you?"

"Talking to Ginny," Harry said.

"Is she nervous?" Hermione asked.

"A bit," Harry said. "But hopefully she'll feel better once she gets out there. Don't know why she's so anxious, though. The Harpies are playing the Cannons; they haven't won a game in almost five years."

"Hey!" Ron defended. "They've got a good team this year! Can't wait to see their new Seeker in action."

"You can't really be cheering for the Cannons," Hermione scoffed. "Your _sister_ is on the other team."

"I'll cheer for her every other game," Ron said. "But I'm a loyal fan; I can't just flip-flop on my team now."

"Did you have to wear the shirt?" Harry asked, rolling his eyes at Ron's bright orange t-shirt.

"Course," Ron said. "I'm hoping to get it autographed."

"Oh Harry, good, you're back," Molly said, spotting Harry. "We're getting ready to take our seats. I must say, I didn't think our spots would be so high in the stands."

"That's how you know they're good seats, dear," Arthur said brightly. "Come on, let's head up."

"Oi," Ron muttered to Harry under his breath as the group began their climb. "Looks like we have some company behind us."

Harry looked over his shoulder and saw three reporters staring intently at him, whispering amongst themselves.

"Just ignore them," Hermione told him, spotting the reporters as well.

"You think they would've moved on," Harry said darkly. "War ended over a year ago."

"Yes well, anything with your face on the cover will still sell like mad, I'm afraid," Hermione said.

Once the group reached their seats, Harry reached into his bag and felt the fabric from his Invisibility Cloak. In the months following the war, Harry had taken to bringing the cloak everywhere with him. Between the reporters and the stares and whispers he would endure, there were times when it would all become too much and he would simply hide away beneath the cloak until he could get away. He was tempted to do exactly that right now, but he knew Ginny would be looking for him in the stands, and he wanted to be sure that she could spot him.

"So George, what will you do when the Harpies play Puddlemore?" Charlie asked. "Ginny and Angelina will be going head-to-head."

"Reckon that's when I'll accidently bite into a Nosebleed Nougat," George grinned.

"Won't they suspect that?" Bill pointed out.

"Hmm, good point," George sighed. "Well, that will be a horrible bridge I'll cross when I get to it."

"You have about a month-and-a-half before they're scheduled to play," Harry told him. "So you'll have plenty of time to-"

"Harry! Harry Potter!"

Harry turned to see a stocky reporter from _Witch Weekly_ hurrying over to him.

"Harry, care to answer a few quick questions?" the reporter asked, pushing through the crowd. "Are you hoping attending a Quidditch match will help you handle the remaining impact of the war? Do you still have nightmares of You-Know-Who? Has your scar detected any danger since the-"

"Excuse me, sir," Percy said, getting to his feet and flashing his Ministry badge. "This is a private box. Kindly leave or I will be forced to file a formal complaint to the Department of Magical Games and Sports."

The reporter gave a huff of disappointment before he turned and headed out of the box.

"Thanks," Harry said gratefully.

"Look," Hermione said. "The players are starting to come out!"

"Good afternoon, ladies and gents!" the announcers voice sounded through the stadium. "We're looking forward to a promising match between the Holyhead Harpies and the Chudley Cannons! First out onto the field…your Chudley Cannons! We have Borris, Martin, Foster, Tomilson, Daly, Carpenter, _and_ Smith!"

Ron cheered enthusiastically while the rest of the group applauded politely.

"Two new players are starting for the Cannons today," the announcer continued. "Martin graduated from Ilvermorny two years ago and was recruited to the Cannons' reserve team. Daly is a walk-on Beater from London; has only played in recreational games! It will be fascinating to see how these new additions help the team."

"They're supposed to be brilliant," Ron said, still clapping. "I'm telling you, the Cannons are in for a great season."

"If I had a knut for every time we heard that…" Charlie smirked.

"The Harpies are coming out!" Harry exclaimed, spotting several green-robed players coming into view.

"And now the Holyhead Harpies, the only all-female team in the league!" the announcer said. "We have Jones, Walters, Olivby, Weasley, Hilton, Cambridge, _and_ Quinn!"

"There she is!" Harry said, beaming as he got to his feet, clapping so hard that his hands were beginning to numb.

"Only one rookie playing for the Harpies today," the announcer said. "Weasley is starting as Chaser today. She graduated from Hogwarts only four months ago! From what we've been hearing, Weasley is in for a very promising career as a Chaser."

"No kidding," Harry grinned, catching Ginny's eye.

….

"There you are!" Harry exclaimed a few hours later as Ginny came running from the locker rooms outside the perimeter of the stadium. She ran straight into Harry's arms, smiling from ear-to-ear. "You were _outstanding!_ Seven goals! That Keeper couldn't stop you!"

"He stopped a fair few of my shots," Ginny said modestly.

"Can't believe how you dodged that last bludger," Harry said. "And that Sloth Grip Roll was-"

"Harry Potter!"

The couple turned and saw no less than five reporters running towards them.

"Harry," the first reporter said, out-of-breath. "Tell us, how does it feel to be around such a large crowd only one year after-"

"How does it feel to be around such a large crowd all cheering on my girlfriend?" Harry interjected, slinging his arm around Ginny. "Ah, well, it was exciting. I'll have to get used to everyone cheering her name, seeing as she's on the brink of becoming one of the best Chasers in the league."

The reporter looked a bit taken aback, but bounced back quickly and turned to Ginny "Budding relationship, no? Tell our readers, dear, how does it feel to be involved with such a celebrity?"

"Well, I reckon it will be tough, what with her busy practice schedule," Harry said before Ginny could open her mouth. "But we'll make it work. No one said dating a star-Quidditch player would be easy. Now then, if you'll excuse us…"

He took Ginny's hand and shoved through the sea of reporters, still calling his name.

"You know, I can give you some pointers about dating a celebrity if you like," Ginny smirked. "I have a bit of experience in that department."

"Do you?" Harry smirked.

"I do," Ginny said, giving him a quick peck. "You know, love, those reporters are probably going to run some horrible story about you know for blowing them off like that."

"Let them," Harry shrugged. "I couldn't care less."


	112. Chapter 112

"When was your week off again?" Ginny said to Harry as the couple moved around their kitchen, sending dishes flying from the drying rack to their spots in the cupboards.

"First week in August," Harry said. "Why?"

"I was thinking it might be nice for all of us to take a trip," Ginny said.

"That would be fun," Harry smiled. "Where do you think we should go?"

"I want to go to Australia," Lily announced, coming into the kitchen.

"Word gets around here fast," Ginny said as her daughter sat down at the table. "Why Australia?"

"Because," Lily said. "Aunt Luna and Uncle Rolf found a bunch of new species of butterflies there!"

"Butterflies?" Harry repeated. "Don't those two usually find creatures that are a bit more…odd?"

"These butterflies have an extra antenna," Lily informed him. "They can use it to read your feelings."

"Ah, that's more like it," Harry smiled. "Well tell you what, love. We'll run the idea by your brothers. We'll have to find a place that everyone agrees on."

"I'll go tell them about the butterflies then," the ten-year old said, jumping up. "They'll _definitely_ want to go after I tell them about it!"

"Something tells me the boys won't be as excited about feeling-reading butterflies as she is," Ginny said as Lily ran from the room.

"No," Harry agreed. "Probably not."

"And do _you_ really think we can find a place where all three of the kids can agree on?" Ginny asked.

"Oh definitely not," Harry said at once. "But we have to let the three of them think they have a say in where we're going. Then when they can't agree, we'll just announce that we're going to the place that _we_ want to go."

"That was probably the smartest idea you've had," Ginny grinned, leaning down to kiss him.

"I have my moments," Harry smiled, kissing her back.

Just then there was a loud popping noise, and Ron appeared right in the middle of the kitchen. He looked frantic and out of breath.

"Ginny," Ron said at once. "I need you. Rose…Hermione is still in Germany on that big meeting with their Minister. Just…please go."

"What's wrong? Is Rose okay?" Ginny asked, concerned.

"Yeah, she-she's okay," Ron said quickly. "But, um, you see…she's-she's…er, started some, um, _womanly things_ , and er, I don't know quite how to, um, be of assistance."

"Wait, is that all?" Ginny said, breathing a sigh of relief. "Well Merlin's beard, Ron! You were acting as though she was hurt or something! You're such a baby."

"I am not!" Ron snapped, sitting down at the table and wiping the sweat from his brow. "But I don't know the first thing about… _that_. This is clearly Hermione's department, but since she's currently out of the country for work, Rosie needs _someone_ who can talk to her. Come on, will you please just go over? She's anxious herself and has about a million questions."

"Of course I'll go," Ginny said. "The last thing poor Rose needs is to be even more confused with you sitting their stammering like an idiot."

"Thank you," Ron said, relieved.

As Ginny left, Ron pointed his wand at the fridge, summoning a bottle of Firewhisky.

"Bloody hell," he sighed, popping the lid off.

"You alright?" Harry asked.

"I suppose," Ron said. "Knew this was coming, obviously, but it's just my luck it happens when Hermione is away. My plan was to never find out about it when it happened."

"Looks like that didn't work out," Harry said, patting his back supportively.

"Nope," Ron said, swigging his drink.

* * *

A few nights later, Ron found himself startled from his sleep by the sound of his bedroom door opening.

"'Mione?" Ron muttered, slowly sitting up.

"Sorry, did I wake you?" Hermione whispered, sliding her shoes off and placing them neatly under the bed.

"Yes, but I don't mind," Ron said, waking up a bit more. "I'm glad you're home. I missed you."

"I missed you too," Hermione smiled, sitting down on the bed next to him. She leaned down and gave him a long kiss. "I'm sorry I was away longer than I expected. And I'm sorry I couldn't answer many of your owls you sent. I was busy nearly every second."

"I figured," Ron said. "But did you and that German minister reach an agreement about, er, whatever it was that you were over there about? I know you told me, and I _was_ listening when you did, but I'm too exhausted to think properly right now."

"It's alright," Hermione chuckled. "And yes, everything has been worked out brilliantly."

"Good, then it was worth it then," Ron said. "See, _this_ is why you have one of the highest approval ratings as Minister of Magic in the ministry's history."

"Thank you, Ron," Hermione said, beaming at her supportive husband. "Although…I do have some bad news, I'm afraid."

"What is it?"

"I'm going to have to go back to Germany in two weeks, on the fourteenth," Hermione said. "To finalize everything with this agreement. I-I tried to get the date moved, I really did, but this was the only time that their minister was free."

"The fourteenth…" Ron repeated. "Our anniversary?"

Hermione nodded, biting the corner of her mouth. "I'm so sorry, Ron. This is our fifteenth anniversary; it's important. And we had those plans to go to Greece to celebrate and-"

"It's alright," Ron interjected. "I understand. You can't let such an important agreement fall through, after all."

"But I feel awful," Hermione sighed. "This was supposed to be the one chance we could take to spend some time together, just the two of us."

"I know, but lucky for us, we can still have that," Ron grinned. "Ginny and Harry are taking the kids on a family vacation. Evidently Lily managed to convince them all to go to Australia to try and find some weird butterfly things Luna told her about. Anyway, Lily wanted to bring along Hugo as well, and Albus is insisting Rosie goes, so Harry and Gin said they could join."

"Oh," Hermione said. "That's nice of them. We'll have to repay the favor next time we get a chance to take a family trip. The kids will love Australia; it's beautiful there."

"Yeah, it is," Ron agreed. "And more importantly, it will give us a week to enjoy some _alone_ time without even having to go anywhere. It will be great; we can spend the whole time in our knickers if we please…or without them."

"Ron," Hermione smirked, swatting his shoulder playfully.

"What? Like you weren't thinking the same thing?" Ron said knowingly.

"How were the kids this past week?" Hermione asked, skillfully changing the subject. "Everything alright?"

"Oh yeah, they're both fine," Ron nodded. "Just the usual nonsense. Hugo dented Rose's broomstick so she threw his chocolate frog cards in the pond out back. Oh! One thing _did_ happen though…"

"What?" Hermione asked urgently. "What happened? I _told_ you, if there was an emergency, send a Patronus! I don't care what I'm in the middle of, I'll-"

"It wasn't an emergency," Ron said quickly. "Rose, she um, well, she started her, er…oh please, don't make me say it."  
Hermione stared at him with a confused expression for a moment before realization finally hit her and she understood what Ron was talking about. "Oh! Oh my goodness! Was she scared? Nervous? Confused? What did you do?"

"Er, um, I-I didn't know what to say to her," Ron admitted. "That's not really, er, my area of expertise. But don't worry, I handled it. I ran and got Ginny, and Rose got all her questions answered."

"Oh…" Hermione said, looking slightly crestfallen. "Well that's good. I'll have to remember to thank Ginny when I see her next."

Ron gave her a knowing look. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Hermione said at once.

"Hermione…"

"Well, Ron, it's just…that's supposed to be a big moment between a mother and daughter," Hermione said. "And I missed it. I wasn't there for Rose when she needed me."

"Hey…you're here now," Ron pointed out. "You can talk to her in the morning."

"But that's too late!" Hermione snapped. "She needed me _then._ "

She sighed heavily as she leaned back against her pillows. "This was what I was afraid of when I became Minister of Magic."

"What was?"

"Missing moments with you guys," Hermione said, a tear falling from her eye. "I've been Minister for three years; I missed seeing Rose play in her first Quidditch match at Hogwarts and I missed Hugo's eleventh birthday and I'm going miss _our_ anniversary and-"

"Hermione, you're here for us plenty," Ron said. "We know your job is tough; you're the bloody Minister of Magic for Merlin's sake!"

"Yes, but that shouldn't mean I neglect my kids," Hermione said. "Or you."

"You're not neglecting anybody," Ron said firmly. He took her hand. "The kids know you'll drop everything if they need you. And you're there for them as much as you can possibly be. Sure, you may have missed Rose's first Quidditch game, but you were there for every other match last year. And you spent the entire day after Hugo's birthday with him, making sure he had an amazing time. You even made him that huge chocolate cake! Sure, it wasn't exactly edible, but your cooking skills having nothing to do with you being away at the Ministry, love."

Hermione gave him a small smile. "And what about you? Do you enjoy hardly getting to spend time with your wife?"

"Well, to be fair, I'd _always_ want to spend more time with you, no matter what," Ron said. "But I could've told you a long time ago that being married to you wouldn't involve having you come home at five every evening to sit by my side. You have far too much too offer. One of the downsides of having a brilliant wife, I'm afraid. But you know what? Wouldn't trade it for the world."

Hermione wiped another tear from her eye as she smiled up at him. "What would I do without you?"

…..

 **AN-I've always felt like Ron was undervalued as Hermione's husband. I like to give him a more favorable spin**


	113. Chapter 113

"-And if you even _think_ of moving from this bed, you'll be at the receiving end of a Bat Bogey Hex like you've never seen before," Ginny said firmly, fluffing the several pillows she had set up behind her husband.

"Ginny…"

"Don't you ' _Ginny_ ' me," Ginny snapped. "You heard the healers; bed rest for three weeks."

"They said two weeks," Harry said, rolling his eyes.

"Yes, well, as your wife, I can tact on as many extra weeks as I'd like," Ginny said simply, pointing her wand at the closet, causing several blankets to fly out and land on the bed.

"Ginny, really, I'm fine," Harry said, reaching out and taking her hand before she could begin covering him with the blankets. "Just a bit sore, that's all."

"You almost _died_ ," Ginny said. "You were out for almost five days. You needed to have over a dozen potions a day pumped into your blood just to keep you alive. You are _not_ just a bit sore."

"But I'm alright," Harry told her. "I'm sorry you had to go through all of that. I really didn't think this mission would be as dangerous as it turned out."

Ginny sighed, settling down next to him. "I'm the wife of an Auror…I suppose I need to get used to worrying over you like this."

"Don't worry over me," Harry said.

"You can say that until you're blue in the face, love," Ginny smiled, running her fingers through his hair. "And it won't do a speck of good."

Harry returned her smile. "Well, the Auror department won't let me go back to the office until I'm cleared by the healers, so at least we'll get to spend some time together. I missed you this past month I was away. Maybe we can take a trip somewhere."

"That'd be nice," Ginny smirked. "But traveling would require you moving from this bed, and that's _not_ going to happen."

"Well luckily for us, there's plenty we can do right here in bed then," Harry grinned, wrapping an arm around her.

"Don't you get any ideas," Ginny warned playfully. "You need to _rest_ in bed. I _told_ you, for the next three weeks you're not to lift a pinky."

Harry looked at her, raising his eyebrow.

"Oh…I suppose we can see how you're doing after a week," Ginny conceded. "But you're _not_ going back to work until you're fully healed."

"Deal," Harry agreed. "Trust me, I can use the break. And if I go into the office now, I'll be flooded with paperwork anyway."

"And what if Hermione sends you the paperwork by owl for you to fill out in bed?" Ginny pointed out.

"Well then you'll have to tell her I'm simply too exhausted to hold a quill," Harry smiled.

"Relax, Hermione came by a few hours before you woke up, and she said she'll handle all the paperwork," Ginny told him. She looked at her watch. "I took the day off from practice, so what would you like to do, now that you're awake?"

"You shot down what I'd like to do most," Harry reminded her.

"I know," Ginny said. "Why don't I summon the television set up here and we can watch movies in bed together?"

"Alright," Harry nodded. "Hey, Gin? Has Teddy been around?"

"Yes," Ginny replied as the small television set zoomed into the bedroom. "He came around every day you were in the hospital with Andy. He was worried sick over you."

"He was?" Harry frowned. "Is he alright?"

"He will be once he gets to see you awake," Ginny smiled. She checked her watch again. "You know, he's probably on his way over here. It was going to be a surprise, but since you were asking…"

Right on cue, the sound of the fireplace whirling to life could be heard from downstairs. A second later, the couple heard footsteps pounding up the stairs right before the bedroom door was thrown open and five-year old Teddy Lupin burst into the room.

"Harry!" Teddy exclaimed, his hair changing to bright yellow as he jumped onto the bed. "You're awake! I missed you! Are you okay? I came and visited you every day."

"I know, Ginny was just telling me," Harry chuckled as Teddy threw himself into his arms.

"Gentle, Teddy," Andromeda panted, finally making her way into the bedroom. "He's just woken up, remember?"

"He's alright," Harry told her as Andy stepped over and kissed his cheek.

"How are you feeling?" Andy asked.

"Fantastic," Harry said. "Fit enough to fly to Spain and back."

"If you even think of touching your broomstick…" Ginny warned.

"What are those for?" Teddy asked, pointing to the bandages that were wrapped around Harry's chest.

"Just a precaution," Harry said quickly.

"You're not still hurt?" Teddy asked suspiciously.

"No, no, I'll be back on my feet in no time," Harry said. "Well, as soon as Ginny will allow it. Between you and me, she's a bit of a worry-wart."

Ginny rolled her eyes, amused. "If you were smart, you'd take advantage of this time. You'll never have me waiting on you hand and foot again. Speaking of which, you should probably eat something. Would you like a sandwich?"

"I'd love one," Harry replied.

"Teddy? Andy?"

"Oh, that's alright, dear," Andy replied. "In fact, we should be going. I'm sure you want to rest, and-"

"No, gran, I want to stay with Harry," Teddy said at once. "Please?"

"Now Teddy, remember, I told you this was going to have to be a quick visit," Andromeda said. "Harry has just woken up and he's bound to-"

"I could use his company, Andy," Harry told her. "Really, I don't mind."

"Are you _sure_?" Andy asked.

"Positive," Harry replied.

"Well…alright," Andy said. "But you be good, okay Teddy? The last thing your godfather needs right now is to waste energy chasing you around the house."

"I know, I'll bring you up the last issue of the _Quibbler_ with your sandwiches," Ginny said. "There's a funny article about Wrackspurts that Harry can read to Teddy that I think everyone will enjoy."

"Okay," Teddy said happily.

"I'll go and help you with the sandwiches," Andromeda told Ginny as the two headed out of the bedroom.

"Harry?" Teddy said once him and Harry were alone. "How come you got hurt?"

"Well, um, the Aurors were after some pretty skilled Dark wizards," Harry explained.

"Did you catch them?" Teddy asked.

"Yes," Harry smiled. "Ginny gave me the news when I woke up. All of them were caught; they won't be hurting anybody else."

"Good," Teddy said, looking down at him lap. "Harry?"

"Hmm?"

"Do Aurors die on their missions sometimes?"

Harry sat up a bit straighter in bed. "What-Did you hear that somewhere?"

"Kind of," Teddy admitted. "When you were at the hospital still, everyone was whispering. But I could still hear some of the things they were saying. I didn't _mean_ to eavesdrop, because gran says that's not nice. But I couldn't help it! But they were saying that you were on a very dangerous mission with the Aurors and that you were really hurt."

"Ah," Harry said, clearing his throat.

"So can they?" Teddy urged.

"Um, well, Teddy, you see…that-that _has_ happened, yes," Harry said carefully. "In some very unfortunate cases. Being an Auror is dangerous. We have to track down very bad witches and wizards and make sure they are stopped. _But_ Aurors have to go through a lot of training before they're allowed to go out on missions like that, so everyone is very skilled in dueling. We know how to protect ourselves."

Teddy nodded slowly. "Harry? What would happen if you died?"

"Don't think about that," Harry said instinctively. "You don't have to worry about-"

"But I already don't have a mummy or a daddy," Teddy whispered. "What would happen if I don't have you either?"

Harry pulled the boy closer to him. "Teddy, no matter what happens to me, you are always going to be so loved. You have your grandmother! She loves you more than you can ever know. And Ginny as well. And Ginny's mum and dad, Ron and Hermione…"

"But I don't want anything to happen to _you_ ," Teddy said shakily, a few tears starting to fall from his eyes. "Why do you have to be a dumb Auror?"

"Because," Harry said softly. "I want to protect you. Unfortunately, Teddy, if people like the Aurors sit back, very bad wizards and witches can come forward and-and if that happens…lots of people could get hurt."

"What kinds of bad wizards and witches?" Teddy asked curiously. "Ones like Voldemort?"

"Yes," Harry said heavily. "Like him. It was bad, when he was in power, Teddy. You're far too young to understand it now, but take my word…we don't want to go back to a time like that. I'd do anything to keep you from going up in a world like that. That's why your parents fought, you know."

Teddy looked up at him.

"I know you get mad, sometimes, that they aren't here," Harry continued. "And I know you miss them every day. But they gave their lives with the hope that you could grow up in a better world. And they helped make that possible for you. And I want to make sure it stays that way."

Teddy didn't reply.

"I don't know if you know this," Harry said. "But your mum was an Auror."

Teddy's eyes widened. "She _was_?"

"One of the youngest Aurors in the department when I first met her," Harry smiled. "She was brilliant."

Teddy didn't reply.

"Being away from the ones we love is the hardest thing for the Aurors," Harry told Teddy gently. "But like I said; we do it because we want what's best for everyone."

Teddy looked back up at Harry. "Promise you'll be careful?"

Harry smiled as he kissed the top of his head. "Promise."

…


	114. Chapter 114

"Says here they're up four-to-five times a night for the first few months," Harry commented, flipping through a large book.

"So we'll be getting no sleep for quite some time," Ginny said, resting her feet on her husband's lap.

"We have to feed them about every three hours as well," Harry said, not taking his eyes away from the book. "Blimey…are you _sure_ you don't want me to see about taking some more time off of work? This baby is going to be a lot of work."

"Really?" Ginny gasped. "Merlin; I was thinking I could just pop it in its cot and eat bon-bons all day."

She swung her feet down and moved so she could wrap her arms around Harry's neck. "You've already taken two months off, love. I'm sure I'll be fine once you go back to work. And if I need any help, you know mum will be over here in a second."

"Right," Harry nodded, looking back down at the book. "Look at this diagram here; it's telling us how to burp the baby."

"We know how to do that," Ginny pointed out. "We must've done it dozens of times with Teddy and Vic and Dom."

"Yes, but you know, I bet a bit more practice couldn't hurt," Harry said thoughtfully. "Fleur is set to have Louis in a few weeks; we can ask if we can watch him one evening to make sure we've got it down. And we can do the same with Fred when he comes in a couple of months."

"Or we can try to take the next five months we have before the baby comes to enjoy the peace and quiet," Ginny suggested.

"Perhaps I should get started on the nursery," Harry said thoughtfully.

"But we don't even know what we're having," Ginny said, somewhat amused. "I thought we were going to wait to find that out before we paint."

"Yes, but we can set up the crib, can't we?" Harry replied. "And the changing table and the-"

"Well seeing as we haven't bought any of those things yet…"

"Merlin, you're right!" Harry frowned. "We should go do that. Come on, let's go see if we can find anything."

"I thought we were just having a quiet night in," Ginny reminded him. "Come on, love, put that book away and let's just relax. We can watch a movie on the telly and eat the last of the ham sandwiches mum sent over."

"I'll get you some food and you can relax," Harry said, getting to his feet. "I think I'm going to go ahead and start babyproofing around here."

"I don't think you have to worry about that for a few months after the baby gets here," Ginny said. "He or she won't even be able to crawl for a while."

"Yes, but it can't hurt to be on the safe side," Harry reasoned. He leaned down and gave her a quick kiss. "Let me bring you your favorite; crisps and vanilla ice cream."

Ginny gave him a small smile. "Well alright. Just don't go overboard, okay?"

"Course," Harry assured her. "Don't worry."

…..

"Harry," Ginny huffed a few moments later as she struggled to pull open her dresser drawer. "What did you _do_ to this?"

"Hmm? Oh, I locked all of the drawers," Harry told her. "You have to use _Alhohamora_."

"You're telling me I have to bring out my wand just to get a bloody pair of socks?" Ginny said, rolling her eyes.

"Well we can't risk the baby getting into anything and getting hurt," Harry told her.

"Yes, I'm sure _socks_ would be really horrible," Ginny said. "Harry, we only need to put locks on the _dangerous_ things. The kitchen drawers, your office, and the potion cupboards."

"Oh," Harry said. "Well…alright, good point. I'll take the charms off first thing in the morning."

"Harry," Ginny said, giving her husband a knowing look. "Are you alright?"

"What are you talking about?" Harry asked.

"Something's eating at you," Ginny said. "No use trying to deny it. Come on, what is it?"

"It's…nothing," Harry said lamely.

Ginny cocked an eyebrow at him.

"I dunno," Harry sighed. "It's just…I don't think I'm ready for this, Gin."

"Oh Harry, we'll have everything in order once the baby arrives," Ginny assured him, putting an arm around him. "How about tomorrow we go down to the muggle mall to look at furniture?"

"No, I'm not talking about preparations around the home," Harry said heavily. "Although I suppose I've been worrying about those so much because at least I can do something about those."

"What do you mean?" Ginny said, confused.

"Ginny, I don't think I'm ready to be a father," Harry said softly, looking up at his wife with a worried expression.

"Harry…oh, of _course_ you are," Ginny said at once. "You're going to be a _brilliant_ father-"

"How can I be?" Harry cut her off. "I don't remember my own father; I've got nothing to go off of. Your dad, well, of course he was always there for me once I met him, but before then all I had was my Uncle Vernon. I know you never met him but trust me when I tell you that he's not someone you want to model your parenting after. How am I supposed to know how to take care of this baby?"

"You'll know," Ginny said. "Parenting is something that you never feel ready for, isn't it? I'm sure once you hold our baby for the first time, all of this worry will melt away."

"And what if it doesn't?" Harry whispered. "What if I'm completely rubbish at being a father? What if I don't know what to do when our child comes to me for advice? What if he or she doesn't like being around me? What if-"

"That's ridiculous," Ginny interjected. "Harry, look at Teddy!"  
"But I'm not Teddy's father," Harry said.

"You're the first to say that blood doesn't make someone family," Ginny said. "You've been there for Teddy from the moment you met him after the war ended."

"Yes, but Andy has always been there as well to help," Harry said.

"Oh sure, she would help you change his nappies and get him to sleep when he was younger," Ginny said. "But that stuff you _will_ pick up. But the hard stuff…Harry, you're already so good at it."

Harry didn't look convinced.

"What was the one thing you missed most about not growing up with your parents?" Ginny continued.

"Well…having someone that loved me," Harry answered. "No matter what."  
"Exactly," Ginny said. "And you've always made sure that Teddy knows how much he's loved, haven't you?"

"Of course," Harry said at once.

"And you already love our baby," Ginny continued. "Right?"

"More than you can imagine," Harry said, gently pressing his hand to her abdomen.

"Then you're going to be a wonderful father," Ginny told him, placing a kiss on his cheek. "Teddy and this baby and any others that may come… _quite_ a few years from now, they're all incredibly lucky to have you."

Harry kissed her back. "They have a wonderful mother as well."


	115. Chapter 115

"Brilliant weather for Quidditch," Neville commented, sipping his mug of mead, as him, Hagrid, Harry, and Ginny sat around the table in Hagrid's hut.

"There's a slight breeze," Ginny pointed out. "Might cause the players to fly slightly off course. And the sun might make it difficult to catch the Snitch."

"You'll have to excuse the Quidditch reporter for analyzing the pre-game conditions," Harry smirked.

"Force of habit," Ginny replied. "But you're right, Neville; these are fairly good conditions for the first match of the season. I was worried James would have to play his first match in the pouring rain."

"Don't think he'd mind in the slightest," Hagrid chuckled. "That boy would live on his broomstick if he could."

"Trust us; we know," Harry said.

"He really is a strong Seeker," Neville continued. "I caught a bit of Gryffindor's practice last night; he definitely took after you, Harry."

"Him? I'm the professional Quidditch player," Ginny said, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, but you don't see James playing Chaser, now do you?" Harry grinned. "Perhaps Lily will pick that up."

"Surprised you didn't bring Lil by with yers," Hagrid said. "I'm sure she would have loved ter see her brother play."

"We think she was more excited at the idea of seeing Hogwarts finally," Ginny said. "But McGonagall sent a reminder last night that children who are not students aren't allowed to come to the school unless there is a family emergency. So she's pouting over at Ron and Hermione's at the moment."

"I was willing to sneak her in," Harry said.

"McGonagall would've given you detention if she found out," Ginny pointed out, amused. "And how embarrassing would it be for you to have to send an owl to the Auror department tomorrow morning saying you couldn't come in because you were copying lines?"

"Fair point," Harry nodded, finishing off the last of his mead. "Shall we start heading to the pitch then? Game's set to start in twenty minutes."

"Good idea," Neville said. "We'll want to get to our seats before the students start flooding out of the Great Hall."

Everyone drained the last from their mugs and then pulled their cloaks on as they filed out of Hagrid's hut.

"Has James mentioned that he's nervous?" Neville asked as they walked.

"No," Ginny and Harry said at once.

"Confident, is he?" Hagrid nodded. "Doesn't surprise me."

"I will say, though, Slytherin's Seeker is a top-notch player," Neville told them.

"Yes, I've heard," Ginny said. "He's a seventh-year, no? I'm sure he's going to start getting some offers to play professionally."

"He's going to have scouts here today from three teams," Neville said. "So I hope James is on his game during the match."  
"He will be," Harry said. "He'll give that Seeker a run for his gold."

The group reached the teachers' stand on the perimeter of the Quidditch pitch and began to climb to their seats.  
"Er, Harry, I should warn you," Neville muttered as Harry and Ginny gave a quick hello to Professor Flitwick. "Ever since word got out among the teachers that you'd be coming to the match-"

"Harry, my boy!"

Harry turned to see none other Horace Slughorn pushing his way through the crowd of teachers.

"Bet you wish you didn't give James your Invisibility Cloak now," Ginny muttered to Harry.

"Er, hello Professor Slughorn," Harry said as the man threw his arms around him. "You've been well, I hope?"

"Harry, what is this 'Professor Slughorn' rubbish?" Slughorn chuckled. "I've told you time and time again; we're on a first-name basis now! Call me Horace."

"Right, um, I'll try to remember that for next time," Harry said.

"Can't tell you how strong of a student young Albus is turning out to be," Slughorn continued.

"From his letters, it sounded like Albus was having trouble in Potions," Ginny frowned. "He said he has difficulty remembering the order to put ingredients in."

"Yes, well, he's only a first-year, isn't he?" Slughorn said dismissively. "Everyone struggles at the beginning. I'm positive; he's shaping up to be a great student! Much like his cousin! That Rose Weasley is just as bright as her mother!"

"We'll be sure to send the message along to Ron and Hermione," Ginny said politely.

"Of course the real star of the day is James, isn't it?" Slughorn said, giving a hearty laugh. "Following in his father's footsteps! You must be proud! Now, I know it's going against my own house, but I'm rooting for James during today's match."

"Thank you," Harry said, hoping to find his way out of this conversation as soon as possible.

"Horace, a group of Slytherin students are causing a commotion with fireworks over by the north stands," Professor McGonagall suddenly said, appearing at Harry and Ginny's side. "I'd like for you to go and address the situation. And perhaps it would be best for you to watch the match from that part of the stadium today, in order to prevent any further problems."

"Very well," Slughorn sighed, clearly disappointed. "I do hope I'll see you again soon, Harry. It's a shame you keep getting called into the Ministry every time I invite you to have tea."

"It is," Harry said. "Well, good seeing you."

"How long do you think you can keep dodging his invitations?" Ginny smirked as Slughorn hurried off.

"It's been working this long, hasn't it?" Harry pointed out. He turned to Professor McGonagall. "Thank you, by the way."

"I figured you'd prefer to watch the match in peace," McGonagall said, giving him a thin smile.

"Thank you again for letting us come," Ginny said. "We're so excited to see James play."

"I must say, he's doing quite well," McGonagall said. "Though I did have to put him in detention last week for sneaking out after midnight to come get some extra practice time in."

"Sounds just like James," Harry sighed.

"We heard Slytherin's Seeker is really good," Ginny continued.

"Yes," McGonagall nodded. "He's the reason Slytherin has won the last five Quidditch Cups."

"But like I said," Neville chimed in. "If anyone can beat him, it's James."

"I'm sure James will play well," Harry said confidently.

"Look, the match must be getting ready to start," Ginny said, pointing to the field, where Madam Hooch was walking out with the trunk of balls. "Oh, I can't wait to see James in his Quidditch robes."

"You won't have to wait long," Harry grinned, pointing over to the edge of the field, where the Gryffindor players were filing out of the changing room. James, who was clearly the smallest player on the field, was looking around the pitch in awe. He caught sight of his parents in the stands and gave them the faintest of waves before mounting his broomstick with the rest of the team and soaring into the air.

"And there's the Slytherin Seeker," Neville told Harry and Ginny as a group of green robes made their way onto the field. He was pointing to a tall, lean student with dark hair. "Philip Lakes."

"He has the build of a good Seeker," Ginny commented. "Long arms, thin frame…has he ever missed a catch?"

"Never, actually," Neville said. "The few games Slytherin has lost since he was on the team were due to the Keeper letting in too many goals."

Harry and Ginny watched as the team captains met with Madam Hooch in the middle of the field and shook hands. Madam Hooch then tossed the quaffle in the air as she blew her whistle and the game began.

"Good, he's getting up high," Harry said, watching James zoom nearly fifty feet above the stands. "That'll give him a better view."

"Gryffindor's beaters are strong," Ginny observed. "James mentioned in his last letter that one of them is graduating this term. I'll bet Fred goes out for the spot next year."

"And when Gryffindor needs a new Keeper, I'm sure Rosie will try out," Harry said. "Blimey, if this keeps up, our family will make up the entire Quidditch team."

"That would make Sunday dinners at the Burrow more interesting," Ginny chuckled. "Oh! That girl on Gryffindor's team just made an amazing goal!"  
"That's Camilla Jaspers," Neville informed her. "She may break your record in a few years for most goals scored in a match, you know."

"Ah, well, it couldn't last forever, could it?" Ginny shrugged. "At least-hey! Did James spot something?"

Harry looked back up at his son, who had taken a sudden dive down towards the hoops on the south side of the pitch.

"I think so!" Harry said excitedly. "This might be it! He might be catching the-Merlin!"

James was thrown off course by a bludger that collided with the end of his broomstick.

"Is he alright?" Ginny gasped.

"He's fine," Harry said. "But it looks like he lost whatever it was that he saw."

Sure enough, James was flying back up with a look of discouragement on his face.

"Still, that was a nice dive, though," Ginny said. "He had brilliant control until that bludger came along."

"His flying has definitely gotten better," Harry agreed. "He's-bloody hell, Gin! The Snitch is right by his head!"

"What?" Ginny frowned, squinting up. "You can see it?"

"Yes," Harry nodded. "Come on, James…look to your right! He can just reach out and grab it!"

But before James could even have a chance to turn his head even a fraction of a centimeter, a green blur raced around the pitch up to where James was.

"And that's the match!" the commentator said from the stands as cheers erupted. "Another fantastic catch from Lakes! Slytherin wins one hundred and sixty to twenty!"

"That match hardly lasted ten minutes," Ginny said as the players slowly began to return to the ground.

"Told you," Neville sighed. "Lakes is one hell of a Seeker. At least next year another house may have a shot at the cup."

"Look at James," Harry muttered to Ginny.

James had just landed and had his head hung low as he slung his broomstick over his shoulder.

"He must be disappointed," Ginny sighed. "He's been wanting to be Gryffindor's Seeker for years, and he lost his first match."

"Shame his first match was against a Seeker like Lakes," Harry said. "I hope he doesn't take this too hard."

"Oh, I have a feeling he will," Ginny said heavily. "You know how seriously James takes Quidditch."

Harry took another look at his son before turning back to his wife.

"Come on," he told her. "Let's go find him."

…..

Just as Harry suspected, James was the last to come out of the changing rooms nearly an hour later, looking just as disheartened as he had been when the game ended.

"James!" Harry called out, getting his son's attention.

James looked up and spotted his parents. "Oh," he mumbled. "'Lo. I didn't know you guys were still here."

"Course we're still here, we wanted to congratulate you after your first game," Ginny smiled, putting her arms around him and kissing the top of his head.

"Congratulate me for what?" James scoffed. "I was horrible out there! I lost us the match."

"James, Quidditch is a team sport," Harry said. "No one player wins or loses the match."

"If I would have gotten the Snitch, we would have won," James pointed out.

"James, don't think that way," Ginny said. "I'm sure no one on your team blames you."  
"Who cares if they blame me or not, it's still the truth," James said. "I wanted to win my first match like you did, dad."

"James, you played brilliantly," Harry said. "Don't worry about what I did. You were the youngest one out there; only a second-year!"

"You were only a first-year when you won," James reminded him.

"Sweetheart, the Seeker you were up against was on a professional level," Ginny said gently. "You're a strong flyer, but still…he has years of experience and has played in Merlin knows how many games."

"But I-"

"James, everybody has to lose at some point," Harry told him.

"Lakes has never lost a match," James sighed. "I'll never be a Seeker like _him_."  
"I cover dozens of professional matches," Ginny said. "And next year, when Lakes is likely playing on a professional team…he's really going to be knocked down a peg. He may be a great Seeker, but he still has a lot to learn. He may not have had a loss yet, but it's coming, I guarantee it."

"Yeah, right," James said, rolling his eyes.

"I'm serious," Ginny said. "Look, I was one of the best Chasers here at Hogwarts when I played, not to sound immodest."

"It's true," Harry grinned, knowing where his wife was going with this point. "You even still have that record for most goals scored."

"Exactly," Ginny nodded. "But when I was scouted for the Harpies after I left school…I didn't even make the starting line-up."

"You didn't?" James frowned.

"No," Ginny smiled. "I was on the reserve team for almost a year before I was able to start."

"But you almost played on the National team," James frowned.

"Well, that's because I learned a lot during that year," Ginny explained. "Your dad can tell you how disappointed I was for the first few weeks I was on the team…I just wanted to be the best Chaser right from the start. But that's not how it works. You become the best by working hard and learning from your defeats."

"But dad-"

"James, to be perfectly honest, the first few Seekers I played weren't superb flyers," Harry said. "So yes, I was able to beat them during my first games. But when I came across Ceddric Diggory, who was an _amazing_ Seeker…he outflew me and caught the Snitch before me. You're a strong Seeker, James, I can already see that. I'm sure you'll catch the Snitch very soon. But you have to admit, you were up against some strong competition today."

James nodded slowly.

"And you'll see, you'll be a better player because of your loss today," Ginny told him.

"I suppose I should have been looking all around the pitch, and not just in one area," James sighed. "I'll remember that next time."

"We're both proud of the way you played today, James," Harry said. "Win or lose."

"Thanks," James said, finally showing a small smile. "Do you think you'll come to the next match? It's against Hufflepuff; you can bring Teddy!"

"We'll talk to McGonagall," Harry promised. "And see if we can arrange that."

"Alright," James agreed, slinging his broomstick over his shoulder. "Well, I should get back up to the common room. Thanks for coming to the match."

"Of course, love," Ginny said, giving him a quick hug.

"Hey, dad?" James said, looking up at his father. "You think if I practice a bit more, I could beat you to a Snitch by Christmas time?"

"Well you can have a go at it," Harry grinned. "I won't go easy on you, though."

"I don't want you to," James smirked.

"You know, I give it three years," Ginny said as her and Harry watched James hurry back to the castle.

"What?" Harry frowned.

"Before James can beat you," Ginny replied. "Maybe two, actually, if he _really_ puts in the effort."

"Is that how little faith you have in my flying?" Harry scoffed in mock offense.

"I'm afraid you've faltered a bit with age," Ginny said, giving him a quick peck on the cheek.

"Right," Harry said, rolling his eyes. "Well I'll bet you Lily will be outscoring you by her third year here."

"Do you?" Ginny said, raising an eyebrow. "I played _professionally_."

"Ages ago," Harry said. "But you've also faltered with-"

"I'm sorry, would you like to finish that sentence?" Ginny interjected, crossing her arms across her chest.

"Um, no," Harry said quickly. "I would not."

"Wise move, Potter."


	116. Chapter 116

"Pancakes are awfully harder than they look," Ginny muttered, using a spatula to attempt to dig some very burnt-looking discs from the frying pan. "Do you want to try a second batch?"

"You really think mine would come out any better?" Harry pointed out.

"Fair point," Ginny agreed, pulling her wand out of her pocket and pointing it at the frying pan, causing the mess to disappear.

"Luckily I managed bacon," Harry said, setting down a large plate down on the table. "One of the few things I'm able to make, thanks to the Dursleys."

"I'll put some toast in," Ginny said. "If I put some jam out, I'm sure Teddy will be happy."

"Just don't burn the toast," Harry grinned.

"Watch it, you," Ginny said, swatting his shoulder playfully. She put a hand on her stomach. "Oh…what are we going to do when the baby comes along? One of us is going to have to step our cooking or the poor thing will starve."

"Your mum would never let that happen," Harry said.

"Yes, I suppose so," Ginny agreed. She sat down at the table and helped herself to a piece of bacon. "How do you think Teddy will take the news?"

"Dunno," Harry said truthfully. "I just hope he won't think he's being replaced."

"Of course he isn't," Ginny said. "He knows how much he means to us."

Just then the couple heard their fireplace roar to life in the living room, and a moment later Teddy and his grandmother walked in.

"Hi Harry! Hi Ginny!" Teddy said, running over to his godparents.

"Hi, Teddy," Harry said, hugging the green-haired boy as Ginny gave him a kiss on top of his head. "We're so glad you're spending the weekend with us."

"What are we going to do?" Teddy asked eagerly.

"Well let's start with breakfast," Ginny chuckled. "Then Harry and I thought we could go down to the muggle village for the afternoon. Oh, and we'll be at the Burrow for lunch tomorrow."

"So I can play with Vicky!" Teddy exclaimed.

"Molly says you're more than welcome to join, by the way," Harry said to Andy.

"Tell her it was sweet of her to pass along the invitation, but I'm afraid I'll have to pass," Andy said. "An old friend of mine is stopping by."

"Alright," Ginny nodded. "We'll bring Teddy by tomorrow night then."

"Thank you," Andy said, kneeling down to kiss her grandson. "Now you listen for Harry and Ginny."

"He always does," Harry told her.

"If you say so," Andy smiled.

"I'm starving," Teddy said as Andy disapparated.

"Start with this," Harry said, placing a few slices of bacon on a plate for him. "We were going to have pancakes for you as well, but Ginny accidently burned them."

"That's alright, Ginny," Teddy said, digging right into his bacon. "I know you don't like cooking."

"Yes, well, perhaps I'll give it a go tomorrow morning," Ginny said, setting down the toast and jam.

"So can we go to the park when I'm done eating?" Teddy asked.

"Well…first, Ginny and I have some important news for you," Harry said, pouring his godson some orange juice.

"Oh no," Teddy frowned. "Are you going on another Auror mission, Harry?"

"No, no," Harry said quickly. "I hope it will be a little while before I'm gone again."

"Good," Teddy said. "I _hate_ when you leave."

"Well, we hope you'll like this news," Ginny continued.

"Are we going on a fly?" Teddy gasped.

"I suppose we can do that later on if you want," Harry said. "But that's not the news."

"You know how Victoire is a big sister?" Ginny said.

"Yeah, because she has Dominique," Teddy nodded. "And soon she'll have baby Louis."

"That's right," Harry said. "Well soon _you_ will get to be a big brother."

Teddy gave them a confused expression.

"Harry and I are going to have a baby as well," Ginny said.

"You are?" Teddy said, his eyes widening.

"Yes," Ginny said. "In about seven more months."

"But…how can the baby be my brother?" Teddy asked. "I thought brothers and sisters have the same parents as each other."  
"Well, yes," Harry said. "But even though Ginny and I aren't your parents, we still think of you _like_ our son."

"You do?" Teddy asked.

"Of course," Ginny said. "We love you so much, Teddy."

"But now you're going to have your own baby," Teddy said slowly. "So-So you won't need me anymore."

"That," Harry said firmly, sitting down and pulling Teddy onto his lap. "Couldn't be further from the truth. Having a baby won't change how much we love you. There's more than enough love to go around. Victorie's parents didn't love her any less once Dominique was born, did they?"

"No…" Teddy said thoughtfully.

"Nothing will change how much we love you," Ginny said. "Not even this baby."

Teddy looked up at the couple, smiling.

"So, are you excited then?" Harry asked Teddy.

"Yes!" Teddy said, his face now lighting up. "If I'm a big brother, that means I get to teach the baby lots of things, right? Vicky taught Dominique how to climb trees; I wanna do that with the baby!"

"I'm sure the baby will really enjoy that, once he or she gets a little older," Ginny said.

"Is the baby a boy or a girl?" Teddy asked.

"We don't know yet," Harry replied.

"That's alright, but try to make sure it's a boy," Teddy shrugged.

"We'll see what we can do," Harry chuckled.

…

"So where's Teddy?" Ron asked as Ginny set down a kettle of tea in the Potter's living room.

"Upstairs with Vic and Dom," Harry replied. "Fleur said she needed a rest, so we're watching the girls for the afternoon until Bill gets back from work."

"It's awfully quiet for three kids being up there," Hermione frowned. "What are they up to?"

"They built themselves a fort out of blankets and pillows in our bedroom," Ginny explained. "So they're keeping themselves busy playing in that."

"A fort?" Ron repeated. "Sounds interesting. I'll have to go up and see that for myself once we're finished with tea." He looked down at the plate of biscuits Ginny had just set out. "Er, who made these?"

"Why?" Ginny frowned.

"No reason," Ron said quickly. "But I had a big lunch, see? And I don't want to stuff myself."

"Mum sent them over," Ginny said, rolling her eyes.

"Oh, well I suppose I can manage a few then," Ron said, reaching for the biscuits and shoving one right into his mouth.

"So what is it you two wanted to talk to us about?" Hermione asked, shaking her head at her husband's actions.

"Well, we have something we wanted to ask of you two," Harry said as Ginny sat back down next to him. "Ginny and I were talking and, well, we thought you two were the perfect choice."

"Yeah? For what?" Ron asked, grabbing a second cookie.

"Godparents," Ginny smiled. "If you both agree, that is."

Hermione gasped and covered her mouth with her hands. "You mean…?"

Ginny beamed as she nodded. "That's right."

"Hold on, I'm confused," Ron said with a confused expression. "Godparents? For who, Teddy? You two are his Godparents. Are there two sets now?"

"Ron!" Hermione sighed as she wiped a tear from her eyes. "Don't you get it?"

" _We're_ having a baby, you git," Ginny said, though she was still smiling. "I'm pregnant."

Ron dropped his biscuit onto the table. "Bloody hell!"

"Oh, congratulations, you two!" Hermione said, getting to her feet and hugging Ginny. "You know, I had a feeling you might be, Ginny. After you passed on wine at the Burrow for the past few weeks…"

"A baby," Ron said, still slightly stunned. "I'll be an Uncle!"

"You already _are_ an Uncle," Harry pointed out.

"Yes, well, you know what I mean," Ron said dismissively as he got up and clasped Harry's shoulder. "And now I'll be a godfather as well!"

"That means you two will be the godparents then?" Harry asked.

"Of course!" Hermione as she threw her arms around Harry.

"Thank you," Ginny said as she hugged Ron. "Oh, and we're going to be telling the rest of the family tomorrow at lunch. Please don't mention it to anybody else until then."

"Blimey, mum's going to be doing backflips once she hears the news," Ron said.

"Don't worry, we won't say anything," Hermione assured them. "But…oh, you _will_ need to be careful once you start telling more people. I'm sure the reporters will take this story and run the second they get word."

"We know," Ginny sighed. "But we know they're all going to find out eventually. We just want to make sure that we're able to tell all the important people in our lives ourselves. That's what matters most to us."

…

"Charlie, dear, put the apple pie at the end of the table, next to the custard tarts," Molly said as she bustled around the kitchen. The family had just finished dinner and was getting ready to enjoy dessert.

"Do you need any help, dear?" Arthur asked his wife.

"No, no, I think that's everything," Molly said, setting a large tray of Trecale Tart next to Harry.

"It looks amazing, Molly," Harry said.

"Thank you," Molly beamed proudly as she took her seat again. "Fleur, Angelina, is there anything special I can get for you? I can whip something up if I forgot one of your favorites."

"No, no everything here looks delicious, Molly," Angelina said, sliding a piece of apple pie onto her plate.

"Yes, eet smells wonderful," Fleur nodded.

"Actually, mum, if you're offering, I wouldn't mind if you made some of your fancy whipped cream for the pudding," Ron said.

"You'll have to make do without it, Ronald," Molly said.

"So you get preferential treatment around here if you're pregnant, is that it?" Ron scoffed, returning to his helping of pudding.

Ginny looked up at Harry. Harry smiled back at her and took her hand under the table, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"Everyone? Harry and I have some news," Ginny said, clearing her throat loudly to get her family's attention.

"What is it, dears?" Molly asked.

"We've just found out that, well, come the end of February, we're going to have another addition to the family," Ginny said. "I'm pregnant."

The words had no sooner left Ginny's mouth when Mrs. Weasley jumped up to her feet, tears streaming down her face. "Oh! Oh this is _fantastic_ news!"

"Another grandchild!" Mr. Weasley said, his own eyes shining as he got to his feet as well. "Congratulations, you two."

"Oh, I doubt there will be a moment of peace around her now," Angelina smiled. "With _three_ little ones all around the same age."

"What are you talking about? There are four grandkids already," Charlie pointed out, looking around the table at Victorie, Dominique, Lucy and Molly.

"Four _girls_ ," Bill pointed out. "Now there will be at least two boys. Three if that's what Ginny and Harry wind up having."

"So?" Hermione frowned.

"Girls are more well behaved," Bill said.

"I'm behaved!" Teddy said indignantly.

"Course you are, sorry about that, Ted," Bill said, winking at the child.

"I didn't even tell Harry and Ginny's secret," Teddy said proudly. "I knew about the baby first, right?"

"Yes, Teddy, you did a good job keeping it a secret," Ginny said. She looked around the table. "We thought since Teddy was going to be a big brother, he ought to be the first to know."

"That's fair, I suppose," Arthur nodded, wiping a tear from his eyes.

"Oh Ginny, how have you been feeling?" Molly asked, moving to sit down next to her daughter. "Any nausea yet? And I hope you're not going to be flying! Merlin knows how dangerous it is for you to be on a broomstick right now! And you're going to need to start preparing right away. I'll come by first thing tomorrow morning to start helping you set up a nursery."

"Mum, the baby won't be here for months," Ginny pointed out. "Besides, if you're going to help anyone with a nursery, go to George and Angelina. They don't even have a crib set up yet."

"What?" Molly frowned, turning to the other couple. "Is this right? Your baby will be here in three months! George, what were you thinking putting this off for so long? No matter, I'll be by tomorrow. We'll make a day of it."

"Thanks," George muttered, shooting his sister a glare.

"Any time," Ginny smiled sweetly.

…

"Well, my first pair of jeans won't button," Ginny sighed, coming out of the bathroom into her and Harry's bedroom.

"Really? But you're hardly showing," Harry frowned as he pulled on a pair of socks.

"Tell that to my pants then," Ginny said, grabbing her wand from the bedside table and holding them to her waistband, causing them to expand slightly. She looked at herself in the mirror. "How much longer do you reckon I have before I really start to show?"

"Well you're hardly finished with the first trimester," Harry said. "So maybe another month or so?"

"It's a shame it's so warm now," Ginny said. "I won't be able to hide the pregnancy with jumpers. I can just see the headlines now…"

"Maybe it won't be too bad," Harry said. "I mean there really aren't too many awful ways to spin a pregnancy, right?"

"I don't put it pass Rita Skeeter to find a few," Ginny said, running a brush through her hair. "I'm just going to savor the privacy as long as I can."

"You can always borrow my cloak," Harry smiled, standing up and putting his arms around her.

"I might just take you up on that," Ginny said, craning her neck to give him a quick kiss. "Alright, we better get going. Are you ready?"

"Ready," Harry said, taking her hand as he pulled out his wand.

The couple disapparated from their bedroom, and a moment later they were standing in Hogsmeade Village, right outside of the Three Broomsticks. They walked inside, both pleased to see that the pub was nearly empty, save for Madam Rosmerta herself and a few old warlocks. After giving Madam Rosmerta a friendly wave, Harry and Ginny headed towards the back of the pub.

"Hagrid!" Harry called, easily spotting the groundskeeper hunched over a mug of mead.

"There you two are!" Hagrid beamed, getting to his feet and pulling them both into a hug. "Blimey, it's been months since I seen yer both!"

"Sorry, it's been crazy at the Ministry," Harry said.

"And with the Harpies," Ginny added as they sat back down at the table.

"Course," Hagrid nodded understandingly. "Well I appreciate yer letters, nonetheless. Sounds like yer doing good."

"We are," Harry smiled. "How about you?"

"Can't complain," Hagrid said, taking another swig of mead. "Not too much to do during the summer holiday. I've been keeping busy tending to the Thestrals and taking care of Fang. Poor thing is nearly fully blind now."

"Oh I'm so sorry," Ginny frowned.

"Ah, don't be," Hagrid said, waving his hand dismissively. "He's getting along just fine."

"And what about Buckbeak?" Harry continued.

"Doin' great," Hagrid said proudly. "Caught a ferret all by himself this morning."

"That's…lovely," Ginny said, holding back a cringe.

"And how is Teddy?" Hagrid asked.

"Oh, he's doing amazing," Harry said at once. "He figured out how to give himself a pig snout this weekend, so he's been going around showing everybody. He wanted to come with us to visit you today, but he has a bit of a cold, so Andy thought it was best that he stay behind. But if you'd like, come by the house for dinner some time to see him."

"Alright," Hagrid said brightly.

"Anyway," Harry continued. "We actually had something pretty important we wanted to tell you about today, Hagrid."

"Everybody alright?" Hagrid asked, concerned.

"Yes, yes," Ginny assured him. "This is _good_ news."

"Well we can always use some of that," Hagrid said, breathing a sigh of relief. "What is it then? Go on."

"We're going to have a baby," Harry said, grinning as he squeezed Ginny's hand.

Hagrid nearly dropped his mug. "A _baby_?"

"That's right," Ginny smiled. "At the end of February."

Hagrid let out a hearty laugh as he jumped to his feet, pulling them into his arms for another hug.

"A baby!" Hagrid exclaimed, wiping his eyes with the blanket-sized handkerchief in his pocket.

"We know we won't be able to hide it much longer," Harry said when Hagrid released them. "So we've been making sure that everybody we care most about finds out from us first."

"I jus' can't believe it," Hagrid said, blowing his noise loudly into the handkerchief. "Seems like only yesterday I was carrying you as a baby, Harry. And now look at yer! Well, I can't think of two finer people to be parents."

"Thank you," Ginny said, putting an arm around Harry. "I'm glad you think so, because right now I think we're still both a little nervous about that part."

"Codswallop," Hagrid scoffed. "The two of yous will be 'mazing parents. You'll see, it'll come naturally ter you. Why I remember when Norbert-excuse me- _Norberta_ , was firs' born. That parental drive started right away…Firs' time the little darlin' had the sniffles I was up half the night with her…"

…

"Beautiful day," Ginny commented softly as her and Harry walked through Godric's Hallow.

"Yes," Harry said, somewhat distractedly. "It is."

Ginny took his hand in hers and gave it a gentle squeeze as the couple reached the kissing gate of the cemetery.

Harry led the way to his parents' graves and sat down between them.

"Hi mum, hi dad," Harry whispered. "It's been a few months since I visited, hasn't it? Sorry about that. Things have been busy lately…but-but I have some big news for you. Well, _we_ do."

He put his arm around Ginny as she settled down next to him.

"You're going to be grandparents," Harry continued. "Ginny and I are going to have a baby."

He was silent for a moment.

"I know you won't get a chance to meet the baby," Harry finally spoke. "But I promise, I'm going to make sure he or she knows all about you. I'll make sure your grandchild knows you died heroes. And Ginny and I are just about to move into the village; we found a home here that we think would be perfect for raising a family. When the baby gets a bit older, we'll bring him or her out here to see you."

"Yes, we will," Ginny nodded.

Harry leaned over and kissed her temple before standing up and helping her to her feet.

"I'll be by again soon," Harry said as Ginny placed rings of flowers on both graves. "Maybe next time I come by I can tell you if you're getting a grandson or a granddaughter."

He turned and headed out of the cemetery with Ginny.

"Well, we did it then," Ginny said. "We told everyone we needed to before it got leaked to the papers."

"Wonder how much longer we'll have before that happens," Harry said.

"Who knows?" Ginny sighed. "But it'll be alright."

"I know," Harry smiled, resting a hand on her stomach. "Nothing, not even the press, can ruin this."


	117. Chapter 117

"Harry, how come Vicky can't play today?" four-year old Teddy asked.

"Because, she's sick," Harry said, taking Teddy's now empty cereal bowl and bringing it to the sink. "She has a cold."

"Poor Vicky," Teddy frowned.

"I know," Harry smiled. "But Bill and Fleur said she should be alright to play tomorrow. We'll have her come round the house then."

"Alright," Teddy agreed as Ginny came into the kitchen.

"Morning," Ginny said, giving Harry a quick kiss. "Are you getting ready go?"

"Yes," Harry nodded, kissing her back. "I won't be long, though."

"Take your time," Ginny said. "Practice doesn't start until noon today."

"Where are you going, Harry?" Teddy asked. "I thought you said you didn't have to go to work today."

"I don't," Harry said. "I'm just going to go for a quick walk. When I get back, I'll take you down to the playground. Sound good?"

"Okay," Teddy nodded.

"Teddy, would you like some more toast?" Ginny asked as Harry pulled on his jacket and headed out of the house.

"No, thank you," Teddy replied.

"Well in that case, go on and play," Ginny said. "I'm going to run upstairs and see if I can charm some of the mud from yesterday off my practice robes."

Teddy went into the living room as Ginny went back upstairs. He glanced over at his pile of blocks, and then over to the front door. He was tired of playing by himself; he wanted to play with his godfather _now_. Surly he wouldn't mind if he joined him on his walk. Teddy knew he should check with Ginny first, but he was worried if he waited much longer, he wouldn't be able to catch up with Harry. So the child abandoned his blocks and raced out the front door.

Teddy spotted Harry making his way up the cobbled path that ran through Godric's Hallow.

"Harry!" Teddy called, running up behind Harry.

Harry spun around, clearly surprised to see the four-year old.

"Teddy, what are you doing?" Harry frowned.  
"I wanted to come with you," Teddy replied.

"Did you ask Ginny if you could come find me?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Er, no," Teddy admitted. "I'm sorry, but I wanted to catch up with you."  
Harry sighed. "Well…I suppose since you're already here, there's no point in bringing you back to the house. But you mustn't run out like that without telling somebody. Ginny's probably back at home worried about where you are."  
Teddy's face fell. He hadn't thought about that. "I'm sorry," he said again.

"It's alright," Harry said, giving him a small smile as he pulled out his wand. "I'll let her know I've got you."  
Teddy watched as Harry produced a slivery stag from his wand. The Patronus galloped back towards the Potter home.

"Where are you walking to, Harry?" Teddy asked as he followed Harry. "The muggle village?"

"No," Harry replied. "I thought I'd go and visit my parents today."  
Teddy stopped in his tracks and looked up at Harry with a curious look. "But I thought your parents died like mine did?"

"They did," Harry nodded. "But that doesn't mean I can't visit them."

Teddy followed silently; questions racing around in his mind until him and Harry finally reached a set of kissing gates. Teddy looked through the iron gate and saw several stone structures on the ground.

"This is a cemetery," Harry explained gently, kneeling down to eye-level with Teddy. "Those are gravestones inside. Each one marks where somebody is buried."

Teddy's eyes widened. "You mean there are _dead_ people in there?"

"Yes," Harry said. "But it's not meant to be scary. People lay their loved ones to rest here so they can come back and visit. It makes them feel better."  
Teddy looked into the cemetery with trepidation.

"There's nothing to fear," Harry said, putting a hand on his shoulders. "But if you'd rather not go inside, that's okay. I'll take you back to the house."

Teddy thought for a moment. "I want to go inside," he finally decided.

Harry stood back up and extended his hand to Teddy, who held on tightly.

Harry led the way through the cemetery, stopping when they reached two gravestones that each had rings of dried flowers resting against them.

"Here we are," Harry said, pointing his wand at the ground, causing the Autumn leaves to blow out of the way.

Teddy stared at the gravestones. "These are your parents?"

"Yes," Harry said, settling down on the ground. "They lived in this village, you know. That's why they're buried in here."

Teddy said nothing as he continued to study the gravestones.

"You know, I've told you that I was close with your father," Harry said. "But I don't think I've ever told you that my dad and your dad were good friends."

Teddy's mouth dropped. "They were?"

"That's right," Harry said. "They went to school together at Hogwarts. Your dad was Head Boy…my dad, well, let's just say he spent a fair amount of time in detention."  
Teddy grinned.

"They had another friend as well," Harry continued. "Sirius Black. Now Sirius was _my_ godfather, just like I'm yours. The three of them were so close that they called themselves the Marauders."

"The Marauders …" Teddy repeated. He looked back up at Harry. "Have I met Sirius Black?"

"No," Harry said softly. "Sirius died when I was fifteen."  
"Oh," Teddy said, looking down at the ground. "Well is he here?"

"No," Harry said, clearing his throat. "He's…somewhere else."

"Where is-"

"Did you know that my dad, your dad, and Sirius each had nicknames in school?" Harry continued, cutting him off.

"What were they?" Teddy asked eagerly.

"Well, Sirius was called Padfoot," Harry said. "My dad was Prongs, and _your_ dad was called Moony."

"Moony?" Teddy laughed. "That's a cool name!"

"It is, isn't it?" Harry chuckled.

"Did mummy have a nickname?" Teddy asked.

"She did," Harry said. "Tonks. Wasn't really a nickname, though, just her surname. But she didn't like it when people called her by her first name, so we all called her Tonks."

"Was she a mor-dur?"

"Not officially," Harry said. "Your mum wasn't in school at the same time as your dad. But trust me, she had the Marauder spirit."

"Do I?"

"Oh yeah," Harry said at once. "You definitely do."

"Good," Teddy said happily.

The two were silent for a moment.

"Harry?" Teddy finally said. "Where are my parents?"

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

"Are they here?" Teddy asked. "Buried? With gravestones?"

"Oh," Harry nodded understandingly. "Well yes, your parents are buried. Not in this cemetery, though. In another one, closer to your grandmother's house."

"Could-Could I visit them?" Teddy asked. "Like your visit your parents?"

Harry thought for a moment.

"Would you really like that?" Harry asked.

Teddy nodded firmly.

"Alright then," Harry said, pulling out his wand. He conjured up another Patronus and sent it off in the other direction. He then got to his feet and gave his wand another wave. Two rings of flowers appeared, replacing the old ones that had been at his parents' graves. He took Teddy's hand and with a loud crack, the two disapparated from the cemetery.

Teddy and Harry reappeared at what Teddy quickly recognized to be part of his grandmother's village. He had never been in this area, though. He looked around and saw a kissing gate similar to the one in Godric's Hallow. Suddenly, Teddy heard footsteps behind them. He spun around and saw a familiar figure walking towards them.

"Gran!" Teddy exclaimed.

"Hello, dear," Andromeda smiled. He leaned down and kissed his cheek. "Harry just told me you wanted to visit your parents."

"Can I?" Teddy asked.

"Of course you can," Andromeda nodded. "I've been waiting until I thought you were ready."

"I'm ready," Teddy said confidently.

"Well," Andromeda said. "In that case, come on. I'll show you where they are."

Teddy, Andromeda, and Harry stepped into the cemetery. Andromeda led the way through until they reached the final row.

"Here we are," Andromeda said, putting her arm around Teddy. She pointed to two graves. "This one here is your father. Here is your mother."

Teddy felt his breath get caught in his throat, and before he knew it, he felt a few tears trickle down his face. "They're really here?"

"It's a lot to take in at first, isn't it?" Harry said, putting his arm around him as well. "But you know, talking to them helps."

"How can I talk to them?" Teddy asked. "They can't answer."

"It still helps," Harry told him. "I promise."

"He's right," Andromeda nodded. "Now…anytime you want to come here, you can."

"By myself?" Teddy asked.

"Not quite yet," Andromeda smiled. "But tell you what? You need to have someone bring you to the cemetery, but once you're here, we'll wait by the gate for you if you'd like."

"Okay," Teddy agreed.

"Would you like to be alone with your parents now?" Harry asked.

Teddy pondered this offer.

"Yes," he decided.

"Alright, we'll be at the front then," Andromeda said.

Just before Harry turned to follow Andromeda, he stopped and pulled out his wand. He produced two more rings of flowers and handed them to Teddy before leaving the child.

Teddy didn't speak for several moments, feeling too overwhelmed with emotions to make a sound.

"Hi mum," he finally managed to say in a shaky voice. "Hi dad. It's me…Teddy."


	118. Chapter 118

"Look," Ginny said, coming into the kitchen, where Harry was sitting with his morning coffee. She handed him a postcard. "Just came with the morning post. It's from Teddy and Victoire. Seems like they're having a nice honeymoon; they decided to travel to China once they finish up in France."

"I'm glad they're enjoying themselves," Harry said, looking over the postcard.

"They said France is beautiful," Ginny commented. She sat down next to her husband and kissed his temple. "I was thinking…maybe we could take a second honeymoon somewhere nice. Maybe South America?"  
"Yeah?" Harry smiled, putting down the postcard. "I suppose we are overdue for a trip. Last time we went anywhere alone together was at least five years ago. And I _do_ have a fair bit of holiday leave left to use at work…"

"So do I," Ginny said, putting her arms around his neck, leaning up to kiss his lips. "It'll be fun, I think. Maybe in September, once Lily goes back to Hogwarts."

"Well now that you've put the thought into my head, I don't know if I can wait another month," Harry grinned, kissing her back.

"I'm sorry, is my being home for the summer putting a damper in your plans?" Lily scoffed, walking into the kitchen.

"Not at all, love," Ginny said as her and Harry pulled apart. "By the way, you've got some mail. I think it's your O.W.L. scores."

"Oh!" Lily exclaimed, grabbing the envelope her mother held up for her. "I thought they'd be coming this week!"

"Go on then, let's see how you did," Harry said as Lily began ripping open the envelope.

"Well just know I did the best I could," Lily said.

"We know that," Ginny assured her. "I'm sure you did fine."

Lily was silent as she quickly scanned the sheet of parchment in her hands. After a moment, a huge grin appeared on her face. "Ha! I did bloody amazing!"

"Did you?" Harry said. "Let's hear it then."

"Astronomy, Exceeds Expectations," Lily recited from her parchment. "Ancient Runes, Outstanding. Care of Magical Creatures, Outstanding. Charms, Outstanding. Defense Against the Dark Arts, Outstanding. Herbology, Outstanding. History of Magic, Acceptable. Potions, Outstanding. Transfiguration, Outstanding."

"Merlin, you did more than amazing," Ginny said, standing up to hug her daughter.

"I'll say," Harry agreed, hugging Lily as well. "We're real proud of you, Lil. We'll have to do something to celebrate. Why don't we go out for dinner tonight? Anywhere you'd like."

"Can Lysander come?" Lily asked.

"Oh…I don't know," Harry sighed.

"I just got seven O's, and you're still going to give me a hard time about having a boyfriend?" Lily scoffed.

"Alright, alright, he can come," Harry conceded.

"Thank you," Lily beamed. "I've got to go tell him the news. Oh, and Hugo must have gotten his scores as well!"

"I knew she'd do well, but I'm beyond impressed," Ginny commented as Lily ran off. "Seven Outstandings…that's more than James and Albus got combined."

"I know," Harry nodded. "She can go on and take any N.E.W.T. class that she'd like to now."

"Yes, I suppose now she'll have to start narrowing down what she thinks she wants to do after she leaves Hogwarts," Ginny sighed. "What do you reckon she'll do?"

"Dunno," Harry said. "She'll be brilliant at whatever she decides to do."

"Course she will," Ginny said proudly.

…..

"Lily got seven O's?" Ron said later that evening, as him and Harry sat in the living room of the Burrow, drinking bottles of Butterbeer. "Blimey, that's impressive. Wonder where she got her smarts from…"

"Ha," Harry said dryly. "So how did Hugo do?"

"Fairly well," Ron said. "Got an O in Divination and Care of Magical Creatures, and E's and A's in all his other subjects."

"An Outstanding in Divination?" Harry grinned. "How did Hermione take that?"

"Eh, she's gotten over Hugo being into that sort of stuff," Ron shrugged. "She's proud of him. Even after he announced he's going to be taking the N.E.W.T. level class next term. Looks like we'll have a Seer in the family. What about Lily? What's she planning on doing?"

"Not sure yet," Harry replied. "She's probably still trying to figure it out."

"She's a strong flyer, maybe she'll wind up like James and play Quidditch professionally," Ron said. "I tried to convince Rosie to go that route; the Cannons were looking for a new Keeper this year, but she had to go and follow in Hermione's footsteps at the Ministry."

"Maybe," Harry said. "Ginny thinks that she'll want to do something with magical creatures. You know how she's always going with Luna and Rolf on expeditions."

"Plus, now that she's dating Lysander, she'll be spending even more time with them," Ron pointed out. "Or hang on…hasn't she always said she wants to be an Auror?"

Harry took a sip of his drink. "All of the kids said that at some point."

"Well do you think Lily still wants to do that?" Ron asked.

"I don't know," Harry said. "She's good in Defense Against Arts, that's for sure, but-"

"She produced a Patronus when she was twelve," Ron reminded him. "She's probably stronger in Defense Against the Dark Arts than you were at this age. And clearly smarter too."

"Yes, well…I hope she's changed her mind, to tell you the truth," Harry sighed.

"How come?" Ron frowned.

"You know better than most how dangerous it is out there, Ron," Harry said. "Why would I want Lily running around, fighting wizards who are out to kill her?"

"Teddy's an Auror," Ron said.

"Yes, whenever he goes out on missions, I still drive myself mad worrying about him," Harry said. "You know how mad I'll go with her out there as well?"

"Fair point," Ron nodded understandingly. "Well, like you said, she can go and do anything with the grades she got. Maybe she changed her mind like James and Albus did."

"I hope so," Harry said heavily, taking another swig of his butterbeer.

…

A few weeks later, Harry was sitting in his home office, hunched over the files from the latest Auror mission he had led. He heard a knock at the door, and turned around to see Lily standing in the doorway.

"Are you busy?" Lily asked, coming into the office.

"Not particularly," Harry said, setting down his quill. "What are you up to?"

"I wanted to talk," Lily said.

"Lil, if this is about us extending your curfew, you can forget it," Harry sighed. "For the millionth time, you're not going to be staying out until midnight."

"That's not what I wanted to talk about," Lily said, rolling her eyes. "But for the record, I'd like to circle back to that at some point. I'll be sixteen in a few weeks; I deserve to stay out a little later. But anyway, I wanted to talk to you about my future."

"Your future?" Harry said. "Ah, does this mean you've decided what N.E.W.T. classes you'll be taking next year?"

"Oh, I've known for ages which N.E.W.T. classes I'll be taking," Lily said. "All of the ones I need to become an Auror, of course."

"You-You mean you still want to do that?" Harry said slowly.

"Yes, I've always wanted to," Lily nodded. "I wanted to know if I can come into the Ministry with you a bit this summer. I know you won't let me go with you on missions or anything, but maybe I could sit in on some meetings? Meet some people?"

"Er, well, that's very…responsible of you," Harry said. "But, um, Lil are you absolutely certain you want to be an Auror?"

"Yes," Lily said at once.

"I mean…what about doing something with magical creatures?" Harry suggested. "You love learning about Nargles and Wrackspurts."

"Sure, but that's not what I want to do for the rest of my life," Lily said.

"But what about Quidditch?" Harry continued. "You're brilliant on a broom, Lily. You can definitely make it onto a professional team. James loves playing for the Tornados, and your mum always says the days she spent playing for the Harpies were the best of her life!"

"I love Quidditch, but I can't see myself doing it nonstop," Lily frowned. "I want to be an Auror; that I _can_ see myself doing."

"Well…just keep an open mind," Harry said. "You may decide-"

"How come you're trying to change my mind?" Lily asked, crossing her arms.

"I-I'm not," Harry said quickly. "I just-"

"Yes, you are," Lily said. "Why?"

Harry sighed. "Lily…being an Auror is dangerous. When you go on missions, you find yourself in situations that no class or training can prepare you for."

"I _know_ that," Lily said. "But-"

"It's a lot to handle," Harry went on. "You see things that really effect you. That's why your Uncle Ron wound up leaving the field. And-"

"Dad, I know how dangerous being an Auror is," Lily cut him off. "But I'm prepared for it, and I think I can become a really good one! I'll work really hard; you'll see dad, I can _be_ an Auror!"

Harry gave her a smile. "Yes, Lily, I-I know you can be. You-You'd be a fantastic Auror. I suppose…I suppose I'd just rather you go and do something that won't have me worrying so much over you."

Lily's expression softened. "What do you mean?"

"Do you have any idea how terrifying it's going to be for your mum and I when you get sent out on your first mission?" Harry said gently. "Or any mission, really. We're still wrecks when Teddy goes, and he's been in the field for over five years now."

Lily stepped over to her dad and put her arms around him. "I-I didn't think of that," she said. She looked up at Harry. "Well…I-I guess maybe I can rethink things. You're right, I do like magical creatures and-"

"No," Harry said quickly. "No, Lily, you can't change what you want to do just to give me peace of mind."

"But-"

"Lily, of course it would make my life much more peaceful if all of you kids just worked behind a desk," Harry said. "But I know that isn't what any of you want to do. And above anything, I want all of you to be happy and enjoy what you do."

Lily gave him a small smile. "Well…when I _do_ become an Auror, you know I'll be careful."

"I know," Harry said, kissing the top of her head. "And how about this? I'm teaching one of the trainee classes tomorrow afternoon. You can come along and sit-in if you want."

"Can I use magic?" Lily asked excitedly.

"No, but you can sit in the back and take as many notes as you please," Harry replied.

"Oh alright," Lily conceded.

"You four just don't want to give your mum and me a break, do you?" Harry said playfully. "We'll have you and Teddy running around being Aurors. James breaks something every other week in a Quidditch match, and Al is starting to spend his days working with bloody dragons."

"It's your own fault, look at the examples you set for us," Lily said playfully. "What chance did any of us ever have at a boring life?"


	119. Chapter 119

"I think I finally found a part of going to Hogwarts that I don't like," Lily moaned as she slammed her Transfiguration book closed. "Finals. I feel like I've been studying for ages!"

"I know," Roxy groaned, closing her book as well. "I can't wait to be done with these."

"Let's go take a break by the lake," Lily suggested. "The twins said they saw the giant squid sunning itself near the surface."

"Alright," Roxy agreed, shoving her books into her bag.

"You coming, Hugo?" Lily asked.

"Um, no," Hugo mumbled, still staring down at his books. "I think I'll stay here and do some more reading."

"We've been here for ages," Roxy frowned. "You can't just move into the library! Who are you? Rose?"

"I'm just a bit behind with my studying," Hugo said. "I'll come out and find you lot later."

"Alright," Lily shrugged. "But don't work too hard; these aren't our O.W.L.s or anything."

"Right," Hugo said, giving her a small smile.

As his two cousins departed, Hugo looked back down at his book and let out a soft sigh. He was beyond exhausted from studying, but he couldn't take a break yet. For it seemed no matter how long he read through his notes and textbooks, he just couldn't get any of it. He must have gone over the Twelve Uses for Dragon Blood at least a dozen times, but he could only recall four. He was forgetting ingredients needed for simple potions, and he doubted he'd be able to recall the theories of any of the spells and charms he had learned about this year.

 _How can this stuff be so easy to Rose?_ Hugo thought miserably to himself.

For the past two years, Rose had come home from Hogwarts waving her end-of-the-year exam grades proudly as she got off the train. She was always the top of her class in every subject, and every year their parents, especially their mother, would beam proudly.

Just then he saw Rose herself come into the library, still wearing her Quidditch robes. Hugo slumped further in his seat. On top of being the smartest student in her year, Rose was now the Keeper for the Gryffindor Quidditch team, which of course had their father in tears of joy. Hugo knew there would be no way he'd make the house team during his time at Hogwarts. He could get his broomstick off the ground, but that was about it.

He watched as Rose walked to the back of the library and sat down at a table with Albus and Scorpius. He turned back to his book. He just hoped that he'd _somehow_ be able to perform decently on his exams so that his parents wouldn't be completely embarrassed by him.

….

Several weeks later, after Rose and Hugo had been picked up by their parents from the Hogwarts Express, Hugo sat up in his room, clutching his exam scores in his hands. He had passed all of his classes, but his grades were hardly impressive. Lily had outperformed him in everything, and he knew for a fact that his scores were much lower than any of Rose's were.

Rose was likely downstairs, showing their mum and dad how well she had done this year. It would be only a matter of time before they came up and asked to see his scores…

Right on cue, there was a knock at the door, and a moment later, Ron opened up and stepped into his son's bedroom.

"Hi," Ron smiled. "What are you doing up here? We figured you'd be downstairs telling us all about your first year at Hogwarts."

"Oh…I-I thought I'd rest up a bit," Hugo mumbled.

"Are you feeling alright?" Ron asked, concerned.

"Yes," Hugo nodded. "But…oh, let's just get it done with. Here."

He handed his scoresheet to his father.

"Your grades?" Ron said, taking the scoresheet and unfolding it. "Ah…"

He scanned over the parchment and then looked back up at Hugo. "You did just fine, Hugo! The way you were acting, I thought you had failed something."

"I may as well have," Hugo sighed. "I wasn't top of my class in anything."

"Yes, well, that's alright," Ron shrugged.

"No it's not!" Hugo said. " _Rose_ is the top of everything. I studied _really_ hard but I still did only "fine"."

"Hugo, don't compare yourself to Rose," Ron said. "So she does really well in school-"

"-And she's on the Quidditch team," Hugo pointed out. "And she's made mum's S.P.E.W. club even more popular at Hogwarts than the Gobstones club. And she's-"

"Alright, but that doesn't take anything away from you," Ron said.

"I don't have anything to take away from in the first place," Hugo mumbled. "I'm not good at anything, dad."

Ron's face fell. "That's not true at all," he said at once.

"Yes it is," Hugo retorted. "I'm not good at school, no matter how hard I try. I'm a rubbish flyer, I'm not good at dueling or-"

"Hugo Arthur Weasley, you have _lots_ of amazing qualities," Ron said. "But…I know how you feel."

"You do?" Hugo frowned, looking up at him.

"Hugo, growing up I had Harry Potter, The Boy-Who-Lived, the bloody Chosen One, as my best friend," Ron smiled. "You know how often I felt overlooked and pushed aside with him? Everyone wanted to take his picture, to talk to him, to get his autograph…Everyone wanted to hear about how he saved the wizarding world; how he fought Voldemort…plus he was an amazing Seeker, so that just added to his popularity. And then there was your mother, who was brilliant in every subject, just like Rose. Compared to them, I felt just…well, I felt like you do now. It's not a great feeling, is it?"

"No," Hugo agreed.

"But," Ron continued, sitting down on Hugo's bed next to his son. "I promise, you really _do_ have a lot going for you. Sometimes you just need to remind yourself of that."

"But I really don't think I-"

"You're a fantastic chess player!" Ron said. "You're the only one in the entire family who's a challenge to play against! Your mum and Rose are awful at the game."

Hugo gave a small smile. "But…chess is just a game," he said. "I'm not good at-"

"You're able to pick up different languages very quickly," Ron reminded him. "Two summers ago you learned to speak Mandarin all on your own! Rose tried, but she gave up after a week, remember?"

"I forgot about that…" Hugo said thoughtfully.

"And you're becoming a pretty good cook too," Ron continued. "Which is something that nobody could have expected, given how your mum cooks."

Hugo laughed. "I won't tell her you said that."

"Thanks," Ron chuckled.

Hugo looked back at his score sheet. "But my grades-"

"You said you tried your best, didn't you?" Ron cut him off.

"Well yes," Hugo nodded.

"Well then that's all your mum and I can ask for," Ron said. "And you _did_ do good, even if you weren't at the top of your classes."

Hugo said nothing.

"Mum isn't going to be disappointed in you at all," Ron added softly, reading his son's expression.

"She won't?" Hugo asked.

"Course not," Ron promised. He got to his feet. "Come on, why don't you go show her how you did. And then we can head over to the Burrow for dinner."

Hugo reluctantly got to his feet and followed his father downstairs to the living room, where his mother and Rose were looking through a copy of the _Daily Prophet_ together, discussing one of the articles.

"Mum?" Hugo said, walking up to her.

"Oh Hugo, there you are," Hermione smiled. "Are you feeling okay? I was getting worried about you; it's not like you to shut yourself in your room."

"I was, er, tired from the train," Hugo replied. He handed her his scoresheet. "Here are my exam scores."

As Hermione unfolded the parchment, Hugo looked back at Ron, who gave him a reassuring smile.

"Hmm," Hermione said, looking the grades over. "Hugo, this is wonderful."

"Wonderful?" Hugo repeated, surprised.

"You were telling me in your last few letters how difficult you were finding Transfiguration," Hermione nodded. "But it looks like you really worked hard bring your marks up! And look, Professor Flitwick wrote a comment here that said the practical portion of your Charms exam was very impressive."

"Oh…" Hugo said, relief rushing through his body. "Well I _did_ spend a lot of time studying."

"He did," Rose nodded. "He took my favorite table in the library a few times."

"I'm proud of you, love," Hermione said, standing up and hugging him. "And you should be proud of yourself as well."

"Thanks mum," Hugo said, hugging her back.


	120. Chapter 120

"This is impossible," Ron muttered, running his fingers through his hair. "I have no idea what I'm going to do."

"You've gotten Hermione birthday presents before, mate," Harry pointed out, looking up from the toast he was spreading jam onto.

"Yes, when we were friends," Ron pointed out. "But now she's my girlfriend! I'm not allowed to just buy her a carton of Chocolate Frogs anymore, am I?"

"Well, no, I doubt that would end well," Harry agreed. "Why don't you get her a book then? Can't go wrong buying Hermione a book."

"No, I suppose not," Ron said slowly, picking at the sausages on his plate. "I don't know…I want to get her something special. What did you get for Ginny for her birthday last month?"

"I got her a new racing broom," Harry replied. "Her other one wound up getting destroyed during the battle."

"That doesn't help me, Hermione hates Quidditch," Ron scoffed. "What would she do with a broom?"

"Just get her something that you think she'll enjoy having," Harry said. He pushed his seat back and headed to sink to begin cleaning his dishes.

"What are you getting her then?" Ron asked.

"A book about the last goblin revolution on record," Harry said. He looked at his watch. "Come on, we're going to be late for training."

"Oh, right," Ron said, quickly finishing off the last of his breakfast. "Hey! You think I should get her some dress robes? That would be romantic, wouldn't it?"

"Er…maybe you should keep thinking," Harry frowned.

…

A couple of nights later, Ron came down to his and Harry's shared living room, where Harry was working on writing a letter to Ginny.

"Alright, what if I get Hermione a bracelet?" Ron asked, tossing Harry a catalogue. "I was going to get her a locket, but I didn't want to bring back any memories of last year with the Horcrux, you know."

"It's nice," Harry said. "Does Hermione wear jewelry often though?"

"No…" Ron sighed. "She doesn't. Well what in the name of Merlin am I supposed to get her? Her birthday is in two days!"

"I _told_ you, get her something she'll enjoy doing," Harry said. "You're overthinking this, Ron."

"I _have_ to overthink it!" Ron exclaimed, frustrated. "Otherwise I'm going to wind up getting Hermione something ridiculous. Maybe I _should_ just go buy her some books. It's not exactly romantic, but it's a safe option."

"Look, Ron, I'm sure Hermione will like whatever you get for her," Harry said. "She knows that you-"

"Wait…Harry, that's it!" Ron cried, jumping to his feet.

"What's it?" Harry frowned.

"I know what I'll get her!" Ron said excitedly. "It's not something for _her_ at all! Ha!"

"Hmm, maybe I was wrong about you overthinking this," Harry said, giving him a confused look. "Why don't you think a bit more and-"

"Nope, I've got to get to work," Ron said, hurrying out of the room. "Thanks, Harry!"

"You're welcome…I guess," Harry said, still looking baffled.

….

"Well, looks like you won't run short on reading materials for the rest of the term," Ginny commented, looking at the large pile of books on Hermione's end table. "Seems like everyone had the same idea for your birthday gifts."

"That's alright, all of these books look really interesting," Hermione said, flipping through the copy of _South American Magical Creatures_ she had gotten from Luna. "Thank you again for _Myths of Witchcraft from the Middle Ages_. I'm planning on starting that one tonight. I've had my eye on it for a while now."

"Glad you like it," Ginny said. She glanced at the remaining package on Hermione's bed. "Who's that one from?"

"Ron," Hermione said. "Wonder what it is."

"I apologize in advance for whatever he bought you," Ginny said. "He's not the best at buying gifts. Don't hold it against him."

"I'm sure he probably put a lot of thought into it," Hermione smiled, carefully opening up the large box.

"Oh I don't doubt that," Ginny said. "But even if he spent days thinking about what to get you, I bet he still-"

Hermione gasped as she looked inside the package. "Oh!"

"What?" Ginny asked, looking inside as well. "What did he-For the love of Merlin! I didn't think it'd be _this_ bad!"

She reached inside and pulled out a pair of horribly knitted socks.

"Socks!" Ginny frowned, shaking her head in disgust. "I cannot believe my brother got you _socks_ for your birthday…And what's this? There must be a dozen pairs here!"

"I know," Hermione said softly. "This-This is so _thoughtful_ of him!"

"What?" Ginny said, confused. "He sent you _socks_."

"He made them," Hermione said, stifling a laugh as she held up a horribly knitted blue sock. "And they aren't for me."

"You lost me," Ginny said, still baffled.

Hermione picked up the card from inside of the package and began to read it to herself.

 _Happy birthday, Hermione,_ it read. _I'm sure this birthday is better than your last, at least, now that you're not spending it crammed into a tent with Harry and me, looking for those bloody Horcruxes. Still, I wish I could be there to spend the day with you. I_ _ **did**_ _write to McGonagall asking her if I could come visit you in the castle today, but she told me "my romantic life does not warrant special treatment", so I suppose I'll just have to wait to see you the first Hogsmeade weekend. It's not like we helped save the wizarding world or anything, is it? Anyway, I was going mad these past couple of weeks trying to decide what would be the perfect gift to get you. Harry suggested I get you a book, and that would have been a safe option. After all, there isn't a book out there that you wouldn't love. But I wanted to get you something a bit different this year. And I got to thinking…the thing that you'd probably like most for your birthday wouldn't be for you at all! So I stayed up for two whole nights making these. Even if most of the House Elves at Hogwarts choose not to take them, I'm sure there are at least a couple who will appreciate all that you are trying to do for them. I know I give you a hard time about how much you care about House Elf issues, but I really do love how passionate you are. Well, happy birthday again, Hermione. Can't wait to see you in person. Love, Ron._

"So, er, you're really alright with Ron giving you socks for your birthday?" Ginny asked as Hermione finished reading the letter.

"Yes," Hermione nodded, her cheeks flushing crimson. "He did a brilliant job."


End file.
